Kiss of revenge tastes sweet, Arthur
by TheWheezyCauldron
Summary: "Camelot's safety in exchange for this boy," said the dark sorcerer. In a fit of anguish, Arthur takes the deal and betrays Merlin. Morgause makes a deal with the sorcerer for Merlin. A year later, Merlin comes back to seek revenge from Arthur and his intentions seem darker and more infectious than his past wounds. MERTHUR. Arwen & minor Mergana. M for torture! *ON HIATUS*
1. Forest Grounds

**Hello, readers! I'm** Wheezy **.**

 **Firstly, I would like to thank those who chose to read my story. This is my first Merlin fanfiction and I hope to write it well. This fic DOES NOT take into account, the events that occurred in the TV series Merlin. I've taken their names, their nature (behavior) and a few snippets from the series. This is an entirely different story which includes the characters of Merlin. If at any point in time, should you ask me why I'm not mentioning the events that occurred in the TV show, this is my answer to you now.**

 **Also, this fic contains EVENTUAL MERTHUR. M x M. For now, it is Arthur/Gwen. I will not write explicit scenes though. My fic is a slow-paced fic. So, to all the Merthur fans out there, you're in for a very long ride. At times, you may find my characters a bit OOC. That is because of the plot I've written out for them.**

 **Warnings -** Evil Merlin for a few chapters, possible mind control, OOC characters at times, Graphical torture sometimes, not deeply sexual but you may find forced intimacy that'll be limited to kissing and touching, SELF HARM as the story comes down from its peak, ANGST (to those who don't like it), a few deaths here and there. RATING WILL BE CHANGED TO AN M IN A FEW CHAPTERS. This is a Dark fic, so be warned. If you do not entertain Merthur or Dark fics, please heed the warnings and press the back button. Thank you.

 **So, here you go and I'll be happy to have you guys review and discuss your thoughts with me. Thank you.**

 **Words:** 2182

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 **1\. Forest grounds**

"For the love of God, Merlin! Would you stop staring daggers into my back?!" Arthur screamed for the umpteenth time, not even caring to cast a glance at a forlorn Merlin.

Guinevere cast a pitiful look at Merlin though, albeit smiling. Poor Merlin, Arthur never went easy on him. Always chiding for the pettiest of things, always overworking the gaunt young boy. She might've been a couple of years older than the boy yet she always felt a motherly instinct to soothe the boy of his hurt and underlying grief. It wasn't in her to guess why Merlin always looked so laden with distress when he was around Arthur. Probably, it had something to do with Arthur's brashness towards Merlin. It was surprising, actually, because Arthur was never impolite towards anyone, not even a servant. He wasn't like his Father, Uther Pendragon.

"I wasn't staring, Sire," Merlin calmly shot back, a small mischievous grin grazing his sunken cheekbones.

 _Hasn't Merlin been eating? Why is he so pale?_ Gwen thought, knitting her brows into a frown.

"Now you're lying, Merlin," Arthur said off-handedly, his eyes alert, his right hand close to his sheath in case of an attack.

Merlin chose not to reply.

They were in enemy territory and had to tread carefully. Earlier in the day, an informant rushed into their court, informing them of a band of sorcerers inside the woods, towards the **Caves of Peril**. Those caves have been harboring Dark Magic for centuries and no one dared to venture so far into the woods. According to their informant, a few sorcerers who escaped from Uther's Great Purge by hiding inside the Caves of Peril have now made their move into their peaceful world, trying to disrupt its harmony. They haven't done anyone any harm as of now. But his Father, Uther Pendragon, wants to curb and kill dangers of magic even before they had a chance to begin.

And so, they set on a journey. A week-long journey to the Caves of Peril. This was one such expedition which did not guarantee their lives in return. It was almost goodbye to the knights that rode towards these doomed caves. So on the night before their journey, Arthur paid a visit to the abode of the love of his life, Guinevere. He tried to soothe her nerves as she broke down in his arms, begging him to withdraw this suicidal quest. But Arthur was never one to turn his back on his duties towards Camelot and her people. Camelot always came first for Arthur. Even Gwen couldn't compete.

"I promise you, Guinevere, I'll do my best to come back. For you and for Camelot," Arthur assured, pressing a long kiss on her quivering lips.

"Take me with you," Gwen pleaded.

"No! Please do not make unreasonable demands. Do not make this harder for me than it already is," Arthur requested.

"Please, Arthur. I cannot lose you too," Gwen hugged him tightly.

"And you won't. Can I have that trust from you, Guinevere?" Arthur asked, pulling away from the hug and looking straight into Gwen's eyes with unadulterated love and affection.

"Yes, yes, Arthur. I trust you," she said and now? Here she is, riding alongside him, his knights and his useless manservant.

Arthur couldn't even be furious with her when he found out halfway through the day about her presence amongst his crew. She was hopelessly in love with him and so was he with her, he believed.

They were traveling in a pack divided into two – one, the front pack, looking out for dangers on the front end; two, the rear pack, keeping dangers that lurked behind them at bay. The front pack was led by Prince Arthur; his manservant, Merlin and his love, Guinevere, a few paces behind him on his either sides, followed by **Sir Vidor** and a group of army men. The rear pack was led by the brave **Sir Leon** along with **Sir Caridoc** and another group of army men. In total, they summed up to around 25 in number. Arthur hoped they weren't outnumbered. He didn't fear the brawn of sorcerers but their brains. They had magic and no brawn of his soldiers could stand a chance against a sorcerer, should he choose to unleash magic upon them.

Distantly, Arthur heard Merlin groan and he sighed.

"What is it now, Merlin?" he asked in exasperation.

"How much further is it? Can't we rest for a while? We've been traveling for hours! Also, we're losing light," Merlin sagged on his horse, curling in on himself.

"Are you alright, Merlin?" Guinevere cut in. She was really worried because Merlin looked pale. Very pale indeed.

Arthur chuckled heartily. "Wouldn't be the first time you had a sore bottom and you're still not used to it."

And for the first time in all day, Merlin smiled genuinely.

"Not everyone has a fat bottom like you, Arthur," he retorted and Arthur chuckled again.

This 'fat' insult was getting old. It wasn't an insult but a friendly gesture that only Arthur and Merlin could understand. Probably, no Royalty would ever treat their servant like Arthur does. He might be arrogant and condescending but he cares for Merlin. And, Merlin knows that. Though Arthur complains about his non-productive work, his laziness, his tasteless stews, and his clumsiness, he wouldn't replace Merlin. And, Merlin wouldn't want any other master besides Arthur. They were meant to be together – till the end. It was their destiny.

"Fine! Let's stop here for tonight. Merlin, help the others in collecting firewood, building a fire for the night, distributing dinner to everyone, setting up their blankets – mine first, then polishing my armor, my sword and my boots. Oh, and see to it that our surprise guest here, Guinevere, is treated well with all the supplies," Arthur ranted with his back to Merlin, who groaned in unconcealed displeasure.

"Merlin, I'll help you," Gwen said with a smile, shaking her head at Arthur.

"Oh, no, it's okay, Gwen! I can do it all," Merlin tried to convince her as Arthur was glaring at him. If he now allowed Gwen to help him in any of the works Arthur delegated for him, Arthur would make sure to teach him a lesson and he didn't want to deal with Arthur's silly temper tantrums right now.

"It's alright, Merlin. I'll give you a hand," Gwen insisted.

"Um, then you can just distribute food while I go and fetch firewood and start a fire. Everyone must be hungry. Especially Arthur because he usually isn't overbearing," Merlin chuckled.

"Really?" Gwen asked knowingly.

"He is. Very. But it gets worse if he's hungry," Merlin whispered in Gwen's ear.

"Merlin!" Arthur screamed as he walked towards them.

"I'm going!" Merlin yelled back, casting a smile at Gwen and shuffling into the woods, looking for firewood.

After taking a few strides further, Merlin stopped and cast a glance over his shoulder. Arthur was talking to Gwen and they were holding hands. Merlin felt a pang of pain in his heart as he looked at the scene. Now, Arthur hugged Gwen.

He sighed again for it could never be him in her place. Arthur was just an unattainable star in his life.

He knew that his feelings were wrong. Besides being a servant, he was a man! And two men never settle down together. It was a man's right to have a woman by his side. It was a man's destiny to mate with a woman alone. Yet, his darkest desires involved Arthur. In his dreams, he wasn't Arthur's manservant but his only man. Never in his life would Arthur look at him the way he looked at Gwen. Merlin knew that. So, he has been trying to find happiness in his and Arthur's routine. Being a manservant has its own perks. He would bathe Arthur, dress him, feed him and look after his every need. Merlin wanted to do that. He wanted to be of use to his master, to the one he loves. Till death, he wanted nothing more than a place by Arthur. If not as his man, then as his manservant.

"I suppose this would do," Merlin looked down at the firewood he had collected and walked back to their campsite. It was crowded with army men. Prince Arthur, Sir Leon, Sir Vidor, and Sir Caridoc were dispatching groups of army men to guard their periphery. They were planning on who will guard when and for how much time.

"Sir Leon and I will keep watch first. Sir Vidor and Sir Caridoc, you'll follow up later. Make sure to let our men get plenty of rest. In a couple of miles, we'll come across the tunnels which will lead us to our destination in less than three days. Going over the mountains now will delay our mission and the sorcerers might escape by then. We need to launch a surprise attack," Arthur spoke to his knights and Merlin couldn't help but stare in awe and fondness.

"Yes, sire," everyone acknowledged.

"Disperse and good night all," Arthur wished and turned around, facing Merlin, while everyone moved to their formations.

Arthur looked so fierce, so good and Merlin went into a trance - like he always did around Arthur. That was what caused his laziness and clumsiness. He was so lost in Arthur that when he felt a hand slap down on his shoulder, he squealed in surprise and let go of the firewood.

"Ow, Merlin!" Arthur yelled. All the firewood fell flat on Arthur's right leg.

"I'm so sorry, Sire!" Merlin exclaimed and sat down to pick up the wood.

"What would it give for you to stop being so clumsy for once, Merlin?!" Arthur never ceased his yelling.

"I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention," Merlin squeaked as he stood up.

"Then pay attention! Or you'll get killed since you're the weakest of the lot," Arthur commented.

"Oh, no, Arthur, I'm not weak at all," Merlin said as he walked past Arthur to set up a fire for the night. He has magic and it saved him and Arthur many times. So, even if Arthur didn't know about his magic, Merlin knew that he wasn't weak at all, given his advantage.

"Clearly, you've lost your mind," Arthur followed Merlin and sat down on a log while Merlin clacked stones to start a fire.

"No," Merlin looked at Arthur's blue eyes fondly, "I haven't."

"It's cold. Light the fire, you idiot," Arthur said without bite and Merlin got to his work.

Merlin cherished these moments. Where he and Arthur are the only ones and no one else interrupted their conversation. In these moments, he felt as if he was invincible, as if no one could penetrate the circle he built around him and Arthur.

"There you go, my Lord, a fire to keep you warm," Merlin said sarcastically.

"Yet you still haven't your other chores, have you, Merlin?" Arthur smirked. Merlin's smile morphed once again into displeasure as he set out to finish his chores.

"Idiot," Arthur smiled, warming his hands.

* * *

The next day, even before the sun rose, they set out to find the **Doilor Tunnels** that would lead them straight to the Caves of Peril.

"You haven't eaten yesterday," Gwen remarked and Merlin tore away his eyes from Arthur's back to look at Gwen.

"I did," he chuckled nervously.

"Don't lie to me, Merlin," Gwen said.

"Gwen, I can't eat when I'm not hungry, can I?" Merlin acknowledged.

"You look sick. I'm worried about you," Gwen's voice was filled with pure worry and sadness. Merlin felt guilty for making her feel that way.

"Don't worry. I'm good," Merlin reassured her.

And in silence, they rode. Merlin groaned sometimes complaining about a sore bottom. When the sun was high up in the sky, they reached their first destination in the vast forest grounds, the Doilor Tunnels. They looked intimidating but not dark. Arthur supposed that there were holes in the roof of the tunnels for them to be so lit and not dark. But, at night, they would have to fight not only their enemies should they attack but also the Darkness and cold.

"Have you some of the firewood from yesterday?" Arthur asked Merlin, coming to a stop at the foot of the tunnels.

"Yes, sire. I packed plenty," Merlin puffed his chest proudly.

"Very good, Merlin! You're finally using your poor excuse of a brain," Arthur remarked.

"Dollophead," Merlin whispered just so that Arthur couldn't hear. Gwen caught his words and gave him a puzzled expression. Apparently, Gwen didn't know that dollophead meant "Prince Arthur" in two words.

Merlin shook his head as if to say 'It's nothing.'

"We've reached the Doilor Tunnels! I advise you to be alert. Trouble may find us in any direction and we cannot afford to lose. For the love of Camelot!" Arthur raised his sword in the air.

"For the love of Camelot!" everyone followed suit, raising their swords high up in the air, including Merlin and Guinevere.

"Let's go!" Arthur ordered and in they rode.

* * *

 **Now, they left the Forest Grounds. Next chapter - "Doilor Tunnels".**

 **What did you think so far?**

 **Please do review, follow and favorite!**

 **Bye!**

 **~ Wheezy.**


	2. Doilor Tunnels

**Hello, everyone! Thank you for the follows, favorites, and reviews. I humbly appreciate you guys taking your time to give my story a chance.**

 **Here is the promised second installment. Also, I must say, there will be violence (magical and physical) in the coming chapters and I MAY change the rating to an 'M', depending on how I'm writing my story. I'll warn you guys if there is too much of violence (I hope there won't be).**

 **Too much tension between Merlin and Arthur, though!**

 **Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Words:** 2793

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 **2\. Doilor Tunnels**

"Guinevere, I advise you to go back to Camelot at once," Arthur said in concern.

"No, Sire," Gwen raised her chin in defiance. Arthur sighed. There was no winning against the woman of your dreams. It is a must to cater to their every whim and fancy.

"Be careful, then," he said as they rode further into the dimly lit tunnels.

The only sounds in the tunnels were the echoing footsteps of horseshoes and the crunch of Merlin eating an apple. No drips of water were heard. Surprisingly, the tunnels were as dry as a summer day.

 _Crunch. Chew. Chew. Chew. Crunch. Chew. Chew. Chew. Crun-_

"Would you just stop that, Merlin?" Arthur bellowed.

"Stop what?" Merlin asked, genuinely confused about Arthur's sulky attitude. He ate his breakfast, didn't he?

Arthur sent a glare his way, which Merlin didn't bother responding to because it would utterly be useless. So, he munched and crunched on his apple, ignoring Arthur's frustrated groan. He supposed he should've eaten the night before, the noon before and the morning before. Not feeling hungry isn't a good excuse to skip his meals. Now that he's hungry and their provisions are limited since Gwen had been a pleasant surprise, he must do with an apple, for now. If on the other side of these tunnels, should there be some kind of vegetation, he would surely pick some fruits to store and eat.

"You shouldn't have skipped your supper last night," Gwen leaned towards him and muttered.

"I know," he replied, finishing his apple and tossing away its core.

 _Grrrrr… Grrrrr…._

A growling sound penetrated the walls of the tunnels and Arthur raised a hand in the air, signaling a halt in their journey.

"You _had_ to do something now, Merlin! How idiotic can you be?!" Arthur yelled.

Merlin was sure that the only hobby Arthur might ever have now and in the future would be to yell at and insult him. Why couldn't he be nice, for once?

"I didn't do anything, Sire! If anything, I believe it was _your_ shouting that caused that growl, whatever it is!" he defended himself.

"See there?" Arthur queried, ignoring the blatant accusation from his manservant and pointing his sword at the core Merlin threw away.

"Yes? I can't eat the core of an apple so I threw it away. If I'd known that you wanted it, Arthur, I wouldn't have discarded it," Merlin explained ironically.

Sir Leon and Guinevere snickered in mirth.

"But THAT is what caused SOMETHING in this tunnel to growl. And I will have your head if it is deemed dangerous. I promise!" Arthur warned Merlin while glaring at Sir Leon, who was trying hard to muffle his chortles. Arthur waved at his soldiers to follow his trail.

Merlin looked at the apple, then at Arthur's back and sighed in annoyance. In, they trotted once more.

There was no impending danger, as Arthur presumed there would be. Safe and sound, when they reached a large clearing in the tunnel, they stopped. The evening light was rapidly diminishing and it wouldn't bode well for them if they lost the last rays of light.

"Merlin," Arthur spoke.

"Yes, light a fire, right?" he guessed with a toothy grin.

"You guessed right! Now get on with it," Arthur and the others dismounted their horses. The tunnels were not very accommodating for the entire lot. They had to leave a few of their horses on the forest grounds outside the tunnel. A few army men walked and a few rode horses. They took turns all the way to this clearing and now Arthur wondered where they would hold their horses. There was no fence. There were no trees to tie them to.

"My Lord, the horses?" Sir Leon approached him, voicing his inner concern.

"Sir Leon, I was pondering the issue. Some horses may get frightened and leave. I wouldn't wonder if they all left. We have a limited supply of fodder too," Arthur mulled over the situation.

"Not to worry about the fodder, Sire, I had the chance to pack plenty in case of an emergency," Merlin piped in, firewood held under his arm.

"Merlin, how come you're proving to be useful and useless at the same time?" Arthur wondered.

"How come you're proving to be a clotpole, Sire?" Merlin shot back, earning another chuckle from Sir Leon and a heated scowl from Arthur.

Merlin went about lighting the fire while Gwen, unable to stay calm any longer, started arranging seating stones for Arthur and his men around the fire. Sir Leon catered to the horses.

"Gwen! I'll do it. You can rest," Merlin said.

"I've been doing nothing but watch you work, Merlin. Arthur is working you down to your bone," Gwen sighed and cracked her back to relieve her cramped bones.

"It doesn't matter because I like doing this for him. It's my… I feel it is my destiny to serve him and protect him from all dangers out there," Merlin's voice was filled with such honesty and loyalty that Gwen, for a moment, wondered if Arthur deserved Merlin's feelings for him.

"Arthur is very lucky to have you by his side, Merlin. I mean it from the bottom of my heart," Gwen stated as she moved closer to the fire in an attempt to warm her absurdly cold hands.

Arthur chose that instant to wrap Gwen in his brown coat that was lined with fur around the neck, effectively killing their conversation by sitting right next to Gwen.

"Arthur!" she exclaimed in happiness, wrapping his coat around her lithe body tightly.

Merlin watched them together, euphoria filling his being alongside despondency. It always wondered him, how his melancholy coexisted with his jubilation. Looking at how Arthur adored Gwen, he mused whether one day he could take Gwen's place. A while later, he berated himself for even allowing himself to house that thought. Gwen was his friend and so was Arthur. He could only hope for their happiness and if they found it together, Merlin would gladly see to it. He was snapped out of his reverie when Arthur signaled him to go away, silently ordering him to leave them some privacy. Smiling wickedly, Merlin raised a thumb to Arthur and strode away to the farthest and darkest corner of the clearing. Perched on a flat rock with knees up to his chest and his arms encircling them, he watched Arthur woo Gwen.

The place was cold, too cold for his liking. Deprived of the fire's warmth just because his master wanted some time alone with his love interest; Merlin swaddled himself with his thin over-used and over-worn overcoat to find warmth that never engulfed him. Arthur captured Gwen's quivering lips with his own then, causing a shivering Merlin to avert his eyes elsewhere. Their intimacy was too much to take in at once as he couldn't help but seethe in jealousy.

"Uther would kill them if he saw what they're doing," Merlin jumped in shock when Sir Leon sat beside him.

"Gwen, yes. Arthur? I don't think so," he replied, his curious eyes finding the lovesick pair again.

"You're right. He wouldn't spare Guinevere's life and he almost killed her before, when he believed she enchanted Arthur," Sir Leon wrung his fingers.

"But she didn't. Gwen isn't a sorcerer," Merlin replied, his eyes cloudy as the past flashed across his mind.

"I know. If that nameless sorcerer was found, then I would bet a pouch of gold coins that he'd never see the light of any day," Sir Leon crowed, unknowing of Merlin's talents and identity.

At the realization that he still sees the light of every other day, Merlin smiled broadly. "Oh, I'm sure," he said, nonetheless.

Merlin observed that Gwen was crying. Again. Lately, she's been crying a lot, he noted. Maybe, the only way she could express her love and concern for Arthur is through weeping.

"Merlin, would you mind if I asked you a question?" Sir Leon chose his words carefully. He didn't know how to approach this subject without being overly invasive.

Judging by his serious tone, Merlin supposed it was important and focused his attention – physical and mental, on Sir Leon. "Sure, Sir Leon."

"Do you…" Leon paused. Then, sighed. "Do you _love_ Guinevere?" he finally asked, looking straight into Merlin's sapphire eyes, which now seemed black due to lack of light in the clearing of the tunnels.

" _What_?!" Merlin exclaimed disbelievingly, accompanied by a series of laughs.

"It was a genuine doubt. You always watch her. So, I thought…" he trailed off.

"No, you're mistaken. I've no romantic feelings for her, whatsoever. She's my friend and that is all," he replied, clutching his paining stomach.

"Since you always watch her when she's with Arthur," finally, the pieces of Sir Leon's puzzle clicked into their respective places. "I thought you were scrutinizing her." Leon kept this newfound information to himself. It wasn't Guinevere who beheld Merlin's interest but Arthur!

"No. What Arthur and Gwen have is special. I don't belong there," Merlin said longingly.

Sir Leon spoke no further. They sat, relishing in the feel of unspoken camaraderie.

"I must deploy the men to their stations for the night. I'll get going," Sir Leon vocalized after a long pause.

"And I have chores to do," Merlin waved at Sir Leon as he left.

* * *

As night fell and the knights resumed their duties, Merlin found himself seated in front of the fire, keeping watch over the sleeping men. Arthur and Sir Caridoc accompanied him with Arthur jabbing at him with sarcastic words before he assumed his duty as the sitter for a part of the night. Sir Leon and Sir Vidor were fast asleep. They were more exhausted than any others since they had little to no sleep the previous night. Merlin was almost asleep on his drawn up knees when he heard Arthur call out his name.

"Sire?" he yawned, rubbing his eyes to wakefulness.

"Sleepyhead," Arthur yawned too.

"Says the one who's yawning like a mule," Merlin commented and groaned when Arthur smacked the backside of his head.

"Say something," Arthur urged after a brief hiatus.

Merlin stayed quiet, staring into the crackling fire.

"Merlin?"

He didn't answer.

"I'll hit you if you will not answer to your Prince. I command you to speak to me," Arthur apprised.

"What do you want me to say, Sire?" Merlin drawled.

"You are awfully disrespectful to me, you know that?" Arthur demanded.

"No, Sire, I am not. It is you who treats me like a punching bag," Merlin clarified.

Arthur didn't reply and Merlin sagged into himself. Gwen was sleeping soundly in the summery corner that Arthur found for her by perusing the entire area. Arthur's furry coat hugged her frame and Merlin noted in the back of his mind to wash it over and over again till it was void of Gwen's jasmine scent. He would do that when they return to Camelot, safe and sound.

"Merlin?" Arthur called out again.

He was like a child who couldn't sit still for at least a few moments.

"Yes, Arthur?" Merlin dropped pleasantries and addressed Arthur informally.

"I like it when you address me by my name. Have I ever told you that?" Arthur revealed.

Merlin's head snapped towards Arthur in confusion but Arthur was looking at the dwindling fire. As if he could rouse flames through his stare alone, he fixated his gaze upon the flames.

"You need to sleep. Now," Merlin stated. He was sure that Arthur's lack of sleep and rest made him delirious. That was why he was uttering nonsensical words.

"No, I do not want to sleep and you can't make me sleep, Merlin, because I am your Prince and you will do as I say. Now, sit and answer my question," yeah, Arthur's delirious. Merlin confirmed it.

"No, you haven't told me," Merlin replied, unable to disobey Arthur's commands.

"I did now," Arthur answered.

Merlin's heart beat faster. Any thoughts of sleep have long fled him. Instead, apprehension held him by the reins and he was dancing in a very weird territory. He didn't know what to do.

"You must know this Merlin. You are a good servant though I state otherwise. I wish you'd be there with me. Always," Arthur's gaze shifted to rest on Merlin. His eyes were droopy and they would've fallen shut if not for Merlin's hankering gaze that filled Arthur's eyes till their brims.

Merlin's eyes had always been very… intense to Arthur. The way Merlin looked at him was just like fire licking on his skin ever so slightly. There was something about his eyes that Arthur always felt drawn to. Arthur leaned in to get a closer look at Merlin's eyes and Merlin drew back, away from the young Prince.

"Arthur, you are not in your right mind. You need to sleep now," Merlin's voice was low and husky, his heart a racing mess, as he willed Arthur to let him go.

This was torture to Merlin. He didn't want to hear these words from Arthur. A snide, arrogant, condescending and supercilious Arthur was fine with him but not a nice, warm, loving and delirious Arthur. The latter one belonged to Gwen and if Arthur remembered these moments the following day, he would have a fit. That would ultimately lead to him overworking Merlin.

"Yes, I suppose you are right. I need to sleep," Arthur shifted a bit and Merlin stiffened when Arthur used his thigh as his pillow for the night.

He tried removing his leg from under Arthur's head but stopped when Arthur turned around and faced him.

"Stay. I'm tired," he yawned and fell into a deep slumber within seconds.

Merlin didn't dare move. A small part in the back of his heart felt guilty but a larger part relished and rejoiced in the feel of Arthur's head over his lap. He carded his fingers through Arthur's soft golden locks and felt the Prince relax under his ministrations.

"Sir Caridoc?" he called out and he raised a brow when he entered the clearing and saw Arthur fast asleep in Merlin's lap, Merlin combing his fingers through Arthur's hair unconsciously. Servants never did that and Princes never stayed too close to their servants. Yet, he said nothing. It wasn't his place to say anything to the Prince or his manservant. Merlin had always been different; special, even, to their Prince Arthur.

"I'll wake Sir Leon and Sir Vidor. You and I need to rest now," he replied and left.

Later in the night when Sir Leon made his way into the clearing, he found Merlin reposed on Arthur's right shoulder, his left arm encircling Arthur's back while Arthur slept on his left in Merlin's lap. His momentary shock turned into a smile and he left the clearing to join Sir Vidor.

* * *

" _Merlin!_ " a voice rumbled in his head, inducing a heavy pain in its walls.

Merlin shook his head to free himself of the voice and rested it down on the slab on which he was sleeping. The slab was soft and warm, surprisingly.

" _Young warlock, you need to wake up now!_ " the voice in his head seemed so frantic that he shot up, his eyes wide open and his sleep addled brain now alert.

"What?" he gasped when he realized where he'd been sleeping. He drooled all over Arthur's shirt on his shoulder and Merlin tried to scrub it away with his own shirt. It had to dry before morning, he surmised eventually.

" _Young warlock, I have a matter of paramount importance to discuss with you. Your presence is gravely vital_ ," he heard the great dragon's voice in his head.

" _You can't possibly expect me to run out of this tunnel. You can talk to me like this, can't you?_ " Merlin spoke back through his mind.

" _No, not for long, young warlock and I expect you to meet me at the entrance to this tunnel_ ," the dragon replied calmly. Merlin let out a deep breath.

" _Okay. I'm coming. I hope this is as important as you say it is_ ," Merlin replied.

" _Indeed, it is!_ " the dragon assured.

* * *

 **What will the Great Old Dragon say to the young warlock?**

 **Please follow, favorite and REVIEW my story!**

 **Thank you and bye!**

 **~ Wheezy.**


	3. Kilgharrah's Advice

**Hello, once again! Thank you for the follows, favorites, and reviews. This one's a fast update, eh?**

 **In response to one of the reviews that asked me when I would be updating, I can't particularly say because I don't have a timeline. I write whenever a thought pops into my mind and post it as soon as the chapter is done. But, I can give you a window. I will be updating every 5 days. Sometimes, I might take a week to update. If I do not post the next chapter because of some personal circumstances, I'll let you guys know.**

 **Arthur's a bully, no doubt!**

 _ **I was wondering if the pace of my story is all right with you guys... Should I go a bit faster?**_

 **Words:** 3060

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 **3\. Kilgharrah's Advice**

 _'I dearly hope that I'll be back by morning before Arthur wakes up,'_ Merlin thought to himself as he slid from under Arthur's head.

Arthur grunted and tried to find a comfortable position on the hard stone floor where Merlin put his head down. Merlin sighed and picked up his rug from his bag, bunched it up and placed it under Arthur's head before attempting to sneak out. The problem now was Sir Leon and Sir Vidor. They were keeping watch and Merlin, somehow, had to slip through their fingers. He didn't know how. If he took a horse and galloped out into the dark, they would know but he'd make it back by morning, probably. By foot, he was pretty sure it'd be morning by the time he reached outside. What was the great dragon thinking?!

" _I cannot come. It is difficult to evade Sir Leon and Sir Vidor. Is there no other way?_ " he spoke in his mind, trying to reach out to the Great Dragon.

When he didn't get any reply even after a couple of minutes passed by, he sighed. He drew plans, selected a few, discarded a few, then scratched all of them off and started anew from square one. There was no possible way he could get past Sir Leon and Sir Vidor unless he cast a sleeping spell upon them, risking letting in any kind of dangers upon Arthur and the men of Camelot. He didn't want that.

" _I understand, young warlock. I will meet you on the other side. Tomorrow night,_ " the great dragon's voice filtered in through his mind alleviating Merlin's worries.

" _Thank you. I will call for you when it is safe. And, I'm sorry I couldn't make it tonight_ ," Merlin apologized as he walked back to the clearing.

" _It is I who asked you the impossible, young warlock. I should have reached out to you before you and the young Prince's men marched halfway through those tunnels_ ," Kilgharrah said.

" _Well, you said it is important_ ," Merlin chuckled and wondered if he could go back to sitting and sleeping with Arthur's head on his thigh.

" _Indeed it is! Go ahead, young warlock. I presume it is best if I left you to your personal thoughts now. Goodbye,_ " Kilgharrah laughed like he knew what Merlin was thinking, which left him flushed all over.

Draping Arthur's red cape over Arthur's a bit shivering body, he slept beside Arthur with his back to him. Close enough to feel Arthur's warmth but still not close enough. After a while of tossing and turning around, Merlin got up. He would go back to their positions, he decided. Tentatively, he checked whether Arthur was still fast asleep. When he was sure that Arthur wouldn't wake up, he checked for Sir Leon and Sir Vidor. Slowly, he lifted Arthur's head, removed his blanket and situated himself under Arthur so that the Prince's head was resting on his lap. Just like before. No one would know and he could blame Arthur should the Prince yell at him the following day when he would get back his senses.

For now, this is what he desired. So he draped his rugged blanket over his shoulders and laid his head on Arthur's shoulder. It felt like home and within seconds, Merlin was fast asleep.

* * *

It was suffocating; like his breath was the only air he could breathe. His breath fanned his own face in hot puffs. He was in a desperate need of fresh cool air. If only the contraption around his face came off! He tried moving his arms but they wouldn't move. It was as if they were stuck somewhere, especially his right arm – he couldn't feel it.

"Ugh!" He groaned, trying to move his right arm which felt like a heavy dead tree stump. Actually, he felt as if a heavy dead tree stump was placed on his arm.

Arthur's eyes shot open and all he could see was – darkness. Some kind of cape, no, maybe a blanket, was interrupting his field of vision.

"Merlin!" he screamed as loud as he could.

"Hm? Yes, Sire!" Merlin sat up with a rude awakening from his pleasant sleep, his blanket uncovering Arthur, letting him breathe in fresh cool air and see an expanse of blue botched with a brown belt.

He realized that his head was on his servant's lap. Arthur's body cramped all over as he slept in the same position all night. With great difficulty, he shifted so that he lay on his back, his face staring up at Merlin's.

"Merlin?" he blinked his eyes in a daze.

"Yes, Sire?" Merlin asked, his mind clearing now that Arthur got his senses back.

 _Time to face the storm!_ He thought.

"Were you? Were you sleeping _on me_?" Arthur asked indignantly.

"What? Excuse me, Sire, you were… are the one who is sleeping on me. You wouldn't move! Where did you expect me to sleep? In the air, perhaps?" Merlin argued, laughing inwardly.

"That's what you should have done instead of using my arm as your…" Arthur grappled for the right word in a sleep induced haze.

"As my what?" Merlin questioned, amused by Arthur's way of speaking. It will never get old.

"Ah, as your pillow!" Arthur bellowed.

"Would you both stop quarreling for once?" Guinevere interrupted.

"Guinevere, good morning!" Arthur greeted, noticing her presence.

"To you too Arthur. Here, sit up, will you? I am sure Merlin's legs weigh a ton," Guinevere crouched and helped Arthur into a sitting position.

Merlin and Arthur grunted and sighed in relaxation like old men. As they relaxed, Guinevere and the knights packed their stuff for the rest of the journey, some sending genuinely curious looks at the Prince and his manservant.

"Sire, are you all right?" Sir Leon asked.

"Yes, I will be. I need a few moments," Arthur nodded, pressing his arms for relieving his pain.

Merlin was doing the same to his legs. Sir Leon bowed and got back to packing the bags and counting their horses.

"Will you be fine?" Arthur asked Merlin.

"I need a few moments too. Your head is heavier than a mountain. I'm never letting you use me as your pillow again," Merlin mumbled.

"How dare you speak to your Prince like that?!" Arthur punched Merlin in the arm, earning a chuckle from his servant.

"Sire, we lost five horses," Leon informed the Prince.

"We'll lose more if we do not get out of these tunnels quickly. Guinevere will ride with me. One of our men can ride with Merlin. Pair up and the rest can walk. We'll take turns," Arthur commanded.

Sir Leon paired up with Merlin and the battalion traveled ahead with Arthur leading them once again.

"Don't look so sour Merlin. You can walk at the next station," Sir Leon teased him.

"I was supposed to be on the front," Merlin maffled like a child.

"I am a Knight and I'm supposed to be the front man," Leon maintained, albeit playfully.

They rode in silence, listening for any kind of danger. When none came, they became wary of the never-ending silence. Even a yawn from a soldier would push everyone to the edge. This territory was new to them and the safety of the tunnels was fearsome. Occasionally, a few rats moving about troubled their horses but other than that, there were no magical creatures or bandits.

As the sun set, tucking in its last ray of light, Arthur and his men breathed in the pleasance of petrichor.

"Did it rain?" Guinevere asked, reflexively leaning back into Arthur for warmth when the cold evening air danced over her body.

"We couldn't hear the rain," Merlin breathed out, looking back at the tunnels cautiously.

"Yes, we couldn't. How peculiar," Arthur wondered.

"Arthur, don't ask any questions and come with me," Merlin insisted as he jumped off his horse in one swift motion and trotted towards the tunnels.

"When did you start giving orders, Merlin?" Arthur said snidely yet he did what Merlin asked him to do.

They stood at the entrance of the tunnels and everyone was watching them, all agog.

"Now what?" Arthur asked, his hands resting on his hips.

"I will go in. You stay out here. Right here, Arthur. And, talk to me," Merlin didn't wait for Arthur's reply and he marched into the tunnels and turned around to face a confused Arthur.

"What does this prove, Merlin?" Arthur asked.

"Ah, Just as I thought! I can't hear you and I'm certain that you can't hear me too," Merlin said aloud.

He could see Arthur's confusion mold into a frown of astonishment. Seems like Arthur and the others realized it too. The tunnels served as a barrier to sounds. No sound could filter in. Nor would sound travel out of the tunnels.

"I can take this opportunity to say how ignorant and bossy you are, Arthur. You don't even know how many times I've had to save you. Yet you work me worse than a donkey! You are a hypocrite, Arthur…" and he went on.

"Doesn't he look like he's scolding me?" Arthur asked aloud. Merlin was so engaged in blabbering like an idiot that he didn't notice Arthur's lips move.

"Merlin wouldn't do that to you, Arthur," Guinevere said doubtfully.

Merlin's hands were moving frantically and he kept on pointing at Arthur with his index.

"Sire, I'm certain he's chastising you," Sir Leon piped in.

"… You, Arthur Pendragon, with the face of a toad -," Merlin stopped his rambling and took a few steps back when Arthur walked into the tunnels.

"So, as I guessed, you were bad-mouthing me," Arthur's voice dripped venom.

Merlin chuckled. Arthur chuckled too. But not for long. He dragged Merlin out by his neckerchief.

"You!" he said, pointing at one of his army men.

"Yes, my Lord?" he stepped forward and bowed.

"You ride with Sir Leon. Merlin here will run along until we find a campsite to rest for the night," Arthur patted Merlin on the chest, smiling broadly.

"Sire -," Merlin started.

"Is it _Sire_ now? What happened to toad face, Merlin?" Arthur asked innocently. Yet, Merlin knew very well that the Prince was angry.

"I didn't mean it, Sire," Merlin lied.

"Of course you didn't," Arthur said as he unpacked some bags from his horse.

"Here!" he said, dumping all the heavy bags in Merlin's arms, who struggled to carry them. "My horse is tired. Carry them, would you?" Arthur mounted his horse and looked down at Merlin, who was trying to carry all the bags on his back.

"I can't walk with these bags on my back, let alone run," he gritted out.

"I know you can, Merlin. I should have done this a long time ago! Run along, now," Arthur was in a good mood after thoroughly bullying Merlin and they galloped off into the woods.

Merlin stumbled and tumbled as he ran to catch up with the battalion. It was a long good hour before they reached a glade large enough to fit all the men. Soon, the horses were tied and a few men delved a bit further from their site for firewood. As Arthur discussed their plans for the next day with Sir Leon, Sir Vidor, and Sir Caridoc, Guinevere anxiously looked for Merlin. Somewhere along the way, Merlin lost them as he couldn't keep up with their speed.

"What's worrying you, Guinevere?" Arthur queried as he moved to stand beside her and took her hands in his'.

"It's Merlin, Arthur. I suppose he's lost his way. Maybe, he fell unconscious! I'm worried about him," she vocalized her concerns.

"Do not worry, he'll be here," Arthur assured her.

"You shouldn't have punished him so harshly," Guinevere stated.

"Sometimes, it is necessary. You know that. Here, get some rest. If he isn't here in a while, I'll go looking for him. He's my idiotic useless manservant after all," Arthur spoke as he led Guinevere and sat her on a log.

As if on cue, they heard a rather loud thump and found Merlin on the ground, barely conscious.

"Merlin!" Gwen rushed to his side first and started untying the bags on his back. Dried leaves and sand jumped in the air whenever Merlin exhaled.

"Did you learn your lesson, Merlin?" Arthur asked playfully.

"Yes, Sire," Merlin answered without bothering to look at Arthur and groaned loudly in pain when Gwen pulled a bag off him.

"Hm? I don't think you've learned enough," Arthur stressed.

"I apologize, Sire, for badmouthing you," Merlin said what Arthur wanted to hear.

"Good! Now, start a fire and feed the horses. Then cook dinner for us. I'm starving!" Arthur dished out orders, patting Merlin on his abused shoulder.

Merlin looked at Arthur incredulously and discerned that the Prince wasn't joking at all.

* * *

After resting his tired and withered body for a while and making sure that everyone was asleep, Merlin slipped out to call for the great dragon.

" **O, Dragarn! E male soi ftengometta tesd'hup anakess!** " he incanted, summoning the dragon.

"Young warlock, we meet at last!" Kilgharrah greeted.

"What is it you wanted to talk to me about?" Merlin asked.

"The quest you are partaking in must be forfeited. It is dangerous and no man will survive if you choose to continue," the great dragon warned.

"It is dangerous. That is why Arthur wants to put an end to those evil sorcerers, provided, they exist in the first place," Merlin said.

"They do exist, young warlock. They are filled with magic rotten than any age-old fruit and unholier than any soul in Hell," the dragon forewarned.

Merlin didn't reply. It wasn't rare that the great dragon stopped him from going on quests like this one with Arthur. Often, the great dragon's predictions about danger had been right. Yet, they succeeded. They never turned back. Merlin and Arthur helped each other and fought together against all evil. This would be just another fight.

When Merlin stayed quiet and contemplating for longer than the great dragon liked, Kilgharrah spoke up, "I warn you, young warlock. There is a reason why the Caves of Peril are hidden and forbidden. No man without magic is to enter the caves for if they should, ash is all that will be left of them. You must convince the young Prince to halt this quest. You must return to Camelot."

Now, it all made sense. Uther feared the men hidden in these Caves. That is how they possibly escaped the King's Great Purge.

"You said, no man without magic, didn't you? I have magic. I can help Arthur like I always do," Merlin retorted.

"Your magic shall be useless against the powers the Caves store. You will most certainly be powerless in the mouth of the forbidden caves," Kilgharrah tried to reason with Merlin.

"Then, give me the powers to defeat them," Merlin requested.

Kilgharrah sighed dejectedly. Merlin's stubbornness was useful at times but it was proving to be burdensome, especially now. Kilgharrah couldn't understand why the young warlock never followed his advice. He was a creature who lived since the Old Religion and this boy, who stood in front of him, had the regality to defy his every word.

"I myself am weak against their powers," the dragon admitted, a bit ashamed.

"You expect me to believe that?" Merlin raised his brows as a gesture of disbelief because according to him, there was no power that rivaled the great dragon.

"I understand your belief in my powers but you must also understand this, young warlock. The sorcerers who are housed by the Caves of Peril are as old as me, if not, older and possess the same powers like mine. They have only got stronger during my... Imprisonment under Uther Pendragon's reign. I believe the powers and spells I have now are useless against their darkened power," the dragon said.

For the first time, the great dragon feared Merlin's willfulness. "You must abandon this quest!" he insisted once more.

"No, Arthur wouldn't agree to reason. Besides, my magic is strong. You said so yourself. And I believe that I can defeat them... If I had your knowledge, even though it is dampened. So, please, instead of asking me to abandon this quest, help me," Merlin pleaded.

The great dragon sighed. He couldn't argue anymore with the warlock. All he could do was bow his head to the dragonlord, unbosom his powers to him and believe in him and his magic. He breathed on the warlock, imparting the required knowledge.

"That is all I have, young warlock," Kilgharrah said and Merlin opened his eyes.

"Thank you! I will not let this knowledge go to waste," Merlin said gratefully and turned to leave.

"Merlin," the dragon's voice stopped him in his tracks, garnering his attention once again.

"I must warn you. You must not let any non-magical man walk into the Caves, particularly, the young Prince. It would do you good if you, more than the Prince, stayed away from the Caves. Do not enter the Caves, young warlock. This last piece of advice, I request you to heed," Kilgharrah reminded Merlin of the dangers of the Caves.

"I understand. I won't enter the Caves and I will make sure no one else does too," Merlin acquiesced.

"If you lose, young warlock, you would have no help from me further. I have no wish to face the sorcerers of the Caves of Peril and put the last of my kind in danger. You are all on your own should you choose this dangerous path," the great dragon cautioned.

Merlin nodded once in assent though fear gripped him at the thought of receiving no help from the great dragon. Kilgharrah flew away, wishing good luck upon the young warlock.

* * *

 **Please do follow, favorite and review!**

 **Next chapter - Caves of Peril. Finally, the Camelot battalion reaches the Caves. A fight ensues. The moment I've been waiting for! Yay!**

 **Until next time!**

 **Bye!**

 **~ Wheezy.**


	4. Recompense

**Heyyy... Short chapter, eh? I know. It was intentional and not 'coz of any time constraints.**

 **Also, this isn't the chapter I promised (Caves of Peril). I was sleeping and thinking over the plot and suddenly, I just had to get this chapter off my chest (not my brain, mind you). It might not be a filler chapter, dear friends but the plot starts here! This chapter is CENTRAL and will make a reappearance (I guess) in the future. **

**I don't know about you but it finally seems like I'M DEEPLY INVESTED IN THIS FIC. If you find any plotholes, do let me know. I want to do right by this fic. I just LOVE the idea of Merlin finally being an open badass!**

 **Duhh, I'm drooling... Don't mind me!**

 **Thank you** mersan123 **and** Squidney (ManxMerthur) **for your reviews that kept me going and to all the others who've been following my story!**

 **Words:** 1258

* * *

 **4\. Recompense**

 _Arthur... I will ensure you will get your deserved comeuppance_.

* * *

 _The court was in order. And the throne of Camelot was devoid of its rightful King. The throne room was embellished with Camelot flags hanging down gracefully from its ceiling, pillars decorated in flower garlands, a red carpet kissing the stone floor in the center. Knights of Camelot occupied the right part of the room whereas other dignitaries and servants stood to the left of the court. Geoffrey, the Court Genealogist stood beside the elegant throne with a red pillow in his hands that held a royal crown._

 _Nobody knew what was happening. Though they stood calm, it was a state of inner chaos, for they didn't know whose coronation ceremony it was. Again. For all they've known, Arthur was their King, recently coronated. All heads turned to the door when in walked a strangely familiar figure, a person who they once knew as a faithful loyal servant to the once Prince now King of Camelot, Merlin. He wasn't donned in his usual ragged and tattered clothes of a peasant but in a royal dress embroidered with gold and silver threads with a cape bearing Camelot's crest over it, like a royal born. If one looked closely, they could also see Arthur's ceremonial sword sheathed into the crevice of his belt._

 _"Merlin!" Gaius exclaimed, partly in wonder and happiness, partly in dreaded confusion._

 _Merlin acknowledged his father figure with a brilliant smile and a respectful incline of his head as he strode towards the throne._

 _"Geoffrey, if you will," Merlin gestured to the throne._

 _"No," Geoffrey gritted out, his hold on the pillow tightening with his unusual display of courage._

 _"It is useless and you know it," Merlin declared, jutting his thumb out to softly feel the texture of the Royal crown beneath his skin._

 _"No man, however worthy or powerful might he be, has ever sat on this throne, except a Pendragon. And you are no Pendragon! You are just_ Merlin," _Geoffrey spoke wildly, anger emanating from his stout figure in furious waves for the first time in many years._

 _Merlin laughed aloud in mirth at Geoffrey's words (futile, soon to be despondent words) and turned around to face the equally bewildered and angry crowd (hopeless and they will come to know in time). "I understand that you are all confused. You possibly wanted Arthur here and he will be in a while. I do not wish to hurt anyone but I will not tolerate anybody trying to kill me," Merlin announced and tilted his head towards Geoffrey, "or elude my orders; requests, for now."_

 _Geoffrey gulped in fear at the maniacal look in Merlin's blue orbs._

 _"Merlin, what's the meaning of this? What are you doing and where's King Arthur?" Sir Leon spoke for all and a few nodded in compliance._

 _"It isn't King Arthur anymore, dear friend. From henceforth, I am your King. And Arthur? He will be my_ betrothed _," Merlin said casually as if what he just uttered wasn't unconventional by any means._

 _The whole courtroom was filled with gasps of surprise and indignation. Hushed words broke into a loud discussion until Sir Leon calmed them with a voice of his own that he delightfully directed against Merlin._

 _"Are you out of your mind?! This is treason, Merlin! I demand you to tell me where our King Arthur is and put an end to your rubbish before we deem you worthy of death!" Sir Leon bellowed, drawing out his sword and tipping it towards a barely affected Merlin._

 _Merlin stood unfazed at the pointy end of Sir Leon's sword. For a moment, his eyes glowed gold and all that was left of Sir Leon's sword was black powder on the floor. He charred and pulverized the sword with a gentle toothy smile on his face._

 _Another wave of gasps rose and Merlin could distinctly hear the word '_ Magic _' among the whispers._

 _"Merlin, what are you doing? Stop this nonsense at once!" Gaius stepped closer to Merlin, clearly disturbed by Merlin's open display of magic, and shook the warlock's arm to emphasize his worried emotions._

 _Geoffrey gulped once again when Merlin shook Gaius off carefully and walked towards him. He could tell his hands were shaking. It would not be a wonder if the Royal crown fell down on to the stone floor. Geoffrey could only look at Merlin like a quivering deer doomed to be a lion's prey._

 _"What will be your answer now, Geoffrey?" Merlin asked, knowing he won the battle. The look in the Court Genealogist's eyes screamed his victory over the entire court._

 _"By the sacred laws vested in me," Geoffrey started, his voice shivering._

 _"No!" Leon screamed and charged forward with his knights to attack Merlin._

 _But all Merlin did was raise his palm. His eyes gold once more, he rooted Leon and his knights to the floor._ _Now, no one would dare interrupt him._ _Why couldn't anyone understand that he didn't want to hurt anyone? He wanted no casualties either. All he wanted was a place on that stupefyingly wondrous throne and Arthur by his side. Like a loyal man._

 _"Go on," he smirked at the Court Genealogist, whose bald head was glistening with beads of terrorized sweat._

 _"Don't do it, Geoffrey," Gaius spoke up yet he was unheard. Merlin's magic kept him from grabbing the crown._

 _Only one thought ran in everyone's minds..._ Where was their King? Where was King Arthur when they needed him now?! Only he can take down this evil manipulative sorcerer, his manservant, Merlin.

 _"By the sacred laws vested in me, I crown you, Merlin, King of Camelot," he announced and placed the Royal Crown on Merlin's head when the man knelt down on one knee._

 _Geoffrey ran down the aisle to stand beside a shocked and utterly disappointed Gaius. Rivulets of sweat still ran down Geoffrey's head like a never-ending waterfall though he rubbed the drops away with his robe._

 _"I had no choice, Gaius, I'm sorry," he hung his head in shame._

 _"Calm down, dear friend. I am sure Merlin is out of his wits and Arthur will take care of him," Gaius ensured but little did he know that they were all puppets in the hands of Merlin now. He held the power._

 _"I believe you would want to see Arthur. I'm excited too!" Merlin laughed like his old self for a fleeting instant and then composed himself with a soft pat to his chest. "Enter, Arthur Pendragon," Merlin said softly but loud enough for Arthur, who was placidly standing outside the courtroom, to hear._

 _The people in the throne room just noticed Arthur's presence though he arrived during Merlin's coronation. Arthur Pendragon walked in a daze and he was immune to all the complaints of his people in the court. It was as if he were hypnotized because he didn't respond to his people at all. His eyes were fixed on Merlin. Not a slight smile graced his features. Like a puppet in a puppeteer's hand, he walked towards Merlin and stopped when they were merely a half foot apart, noses an inch apart._

 _"Sire_ – , _" Sir Leon's sentence was unceremoniously cut off when Merlin pulled Arthur flush against his body and crashed their lips together._

 _The crowd gasped._

 _Again._

* * *

 _I now hold your recompense in my hands, Arthur._

* * *

 **Now that I got it off my chest in a single sitting, I'll get back to my bed. Good night! (Good Morning, Good noon to people in different time zones!)**

 **Please follow, favorite and DO REVIEW!**

 **Bye.**

 **~ Wheezy**


	5. Confessions

**I surprise myself by updating quickly. And, I'm sorry, fellas! Again!** **Apparently, this story decided that it needs an extra chapter before the mountain comes crashing down on our handsome men.**

 **Thank you for the reviews! (Time zone - I'm from Asia, that is all I can say, sorry!)**

 **This chapter follows Chapter 4. And you will understand why Evil!Merlin came into the picture (to the readers who were confused coz of Chapter 4).**

 **Words:** 3421

* * *

 **5\. Confessions**

"No!" Morgana shot up screaming in her bed, gasping for air and sweating profusely. Her nightgown stuck to her body and turned so sheer that her corset was visible. The fire in her room long died and left waves of cold air in its absence. She shivered when the cold air frolicked on her body.

"Is everything all right, my Lady?" a petite maid rushed into Morgana's chambers upon hearing her screech.

She was just a temporary replacement for Gwen, who left with Arthur on his supposed expedition. Morgana wasn't a fool to not know that. Yet, she indulged in Guinevere's lies ( _My Lady, my friend in the neighboring town is gravely ill. Would you mind if I took leave for a couple of days?_ ). _Absolutely not, Gwen,_ Morgana had replied and watched intently as she took off on a horse outside the gates of the castle.

"I'm fine, Heidi. You can go," Morgana addressed the girl and she bowed respectfully before leaving Morgana alone to decipher the meaning of her dream.

It wasn't just a dream. She knew that because she never dreamed; she saw glimpses into the future that lay ahead for all of them. A myriad of emotions ran like rats through her. Merlin? And Arthur? They're _kissing_? As if that wasn't enough, Merlin was _crowned_ the King of Camelot?! She wondered if her magic was playing tricks on her mind. This was a future that would never come to play in reality. Besides, Arthur loved Gwen, didn't he? He adored her like no man would adore his woman. But the Arthur she saw in her vision felt so… _eager_ to kiss Merlin. The thought of Arthur involved in an adulterous affair, more so with Merlin, left Morgana disconcerted. But, was it an adulterous affair in the first place? There was another possibility, given the fact that Merlin practiced _magic_! The boy must've _enchanted_ her half-brother for all she could tell.

"I must talk to sister immediately," she said to herself before hastening behind the wood screen to change into proper clothes for departure.

She must know what this future meant, what Merlin's magic meant. All those times when Merlin told her that _he understood her ordeal_ when she panicked about her magical abilities, he never once slipped the knowledge of his magic to her. He did understand her for real; Merlin wasn't joking and in a way, her heart fluttered at that thought, that someone who had magic understood her fears.

 _Do you understand?_ She had asked him once when she wasn't betrayed by Merlin.

 _Better than anyone,_ Merlin had replied.

Yet, Merlin was so loyal to Arthur that he was a potent threat to her mission against Uther Pendragon. And, the throne of Camelot that rightfully belonged to her. In her previous vision, seeing Guinevere as the Queen of Camelot disturbed her to a very large extent but Merlin's magic and his involvement with Arthur were way beyond salvation for her. A small part of her heart, that still remained untainted and hopeful, felt atrocious pain and sadness. She couldn't let Merlin fall for Arthur. It's preposterous. Merlin did not, at any cost, belong to Arthur. Merlin was…

Morgana abruptly stopped trying to button her blouse at the realization. Why did she feel so unsettled at the thought of Merlin kissing her half-brother? Was it because she harbored romantic feelings towards Merlin? Or was it because of a companionship that she now knew existed between her and Merlin? Besides, there was another crucial matter at hand – the knowledge of magic in Merlin's being. Instead of focusing on the latter information, why was she so fixated on Merlin kissing Arthur? Shouldn't Merlin having magic pose an immense and intense threat to her and her sister and their cause?

"Do I like him?" she questioned herself aloud and that felt so real, so breathtakingly amazing. Yet, pathetic. How could she harbor feelings for a man who tried to poison her? She could clearly remember the vile look Merlin shot her, denying any help as she struggled to breathe through the poison that was engulfing her insides and killing her. She could see the look of betrayal in her eyes reflected in Merlin's.

 _It's over, Morgana!_ Merlin's quavering voice resonated in her ears once more.

"I hate him! I despise you, Merlin, from the bottom of my heart," Morgana gritted out in anger, a few teardrops slipping past the folds of her eyes. "I must find my sister and she'll show me the right path," she resumed dressing up, determined to find out what this future meant for her and her sister.

* * *

"Where were you?" the moment Merlin entered their resting glade, he was pushed back onto a hard surface, a tree he supposed later, by someone he clearly recognized as the Prince of Camelot.

"Arthur!" he gasped, trying to pry away the Prince's iron grip on his right shoulder.

"What were you doing out there, Merlin?" Arthur asked accusatorily.

"I was doing _nothing_!" Merlin retorted, trying to paw Arthur's palm off his shoulder.

"Then why were you out there when all of us were sleeping? Like you have some _secret plans_ of your own, hm?" Arthur asked through gritted teeth.

He woke up suddenly a while ago feeling parched and called out for Merlin, his servant, who would serve him anywhere and at any time. When no response came, he rolled over and found Merlin's sheet devoid of its owner and worriedly, he falsely concluded that Merlin might have been finally abducted by slave traders, the scrawny boy he was. Not wishing to disturb his men's sleep, he searched for his manservant alone but found him nowhere. Arthur was almost losing his mind when he heard twigs crunch under heavy footfalls and the sound only got louder and louder as they approached. The moment he heard the man enter their glade, he ambushed him, trapping him between his body and a large tree before realizing the intruder was his manservant. A relieved sigh escaped his lips despite his budding anger at Merlin for leaving to God knows where in the middle of the night.

"I was peeing, Sire. If I'd known you wanted to watch, I would have woken you up!" Merlin riposted angrily.

He wasn't saying the truth but he couldn't say that he met the great dragon, could he? When Arthur's voice sounded doubtful, Merlin felt offended that the Prince didn't trust him, even after all these years. But, lying to the Prince on every occasion, would not possibly earn him trust.

"You weren't anywhere I checked! I thought someone abducted you or you were hurt or something," Arthur's grip loosened but his hand stayed on Merlin's shoulder.

It was then that Merlin noticed. Arthur's hand was shivering. Was the Prince, for once, worried about him? Merlin's chest puffed up with happiness as did his brain at that thought.

"You were worried about me, Arthur," it wasn't a question.

Arthur looked at him incredulously before admitting that yes, he was worried. "Of course, I was! If you're gone, who would polish my armor, my boots, wash my clothes, draw my bath, clean my room, make my breakfast, fill my wine goblet…" Arthur rattled on like a child as he walked towards his sleeping spot.

"Fill your wine goblet? You want me for such a menial task?" Merlin laughed, pulling his makeshift blanket-bed close to Arthur's and propping down to sit beside Arthur on it.

If Arthur wasn't in love with Gwen, this particular situation would seem much more romantic to Merlin. Not that it wasn't romantic now. Everyone was sleeping. They were the only ones awake. Sitting together, bantering like old friends, occasional shoves from Arthur, laughing together at lame jokes, watching the stars together… It felt like love to Merlin thought it might just be friendship to Arthur. Yet, Merlin didn't mind. He was satisfied.

They haven't been talking for a while now. The stars looked pretty. If an artist were here, he could join those little shining dots and paint picturesque beauties, Merlin thought. Would it be fine if he rested his shoulder on Arthur's? No, it wouldn't be fine because Arthur wasn't sleepy yet. Tomorrow, they would be facing the sorcerers, who, according to the great dragon, are dangerous than all the evil in the world put together. They should win, somehow. He wondered how Arthur would take it. Would he be furious? Or would he accept the fact that Merlin used his magic for saving him? For the good of everyone?

"Merlin, what are you brooding over?" Arthur asked; his head tilted towards his servant.

"Nothing," Merlin answered.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" Arthur knew deep down that his manservant was hiding something from him. He knew it all along but never questioned Merlin for the fear of crossing the man's personal boundaries. Sure, he was the Prince but he wasn't entitled to force out anyone's personal issues unless they are willing to share.

"Yes, Arthur," Merlin replied.

"So? What's troubling you?" Arthur prodded.

"Do you think it is wise to face those sorcerers tomorrow?" Merlin asked. Kilgharrah's warning left him shaken. Though he showed a bold front when conversing with the dragon, he couldn't help but feel uneasy at the thought of the Caves of Peril.

"I do not know if it is wise or not but I can say that to fight them is necessary. For Camelot's safety, it must be done. The sorcerers, should they exist at all, must perish. I cannot stand by and watch Camelot consumed by evil sorcery," Arthur said.

"Sorcery is evil?" Merlin posed it as a question for Arthur to answer truthfully.

"Why yes, it sure is!" Arthur replied as if it was the obvious and only answer and at that moment, he sounded a lot like Uther to Merlin.

"Don't you think there are people who use magic for good?" Merlin asked gently.

"I have not met one such person, Merlin. Surely, it says that people with magic only use it for evil," Arthur's words seemed as dark as the night.

 _You've met me, though you do not know_ , Merlin mused in his head.

"Some people are _born_ with magic, Arthur. They can't help it," Merlin reminisced about his past when he had magical accidents. Unknowingly, he would levitate things or turn off the fire when it boiled dinner for too long.

"What are you implying, Merlin?" Arthur queried exasperatedly. He didn't want to have this conversation with Merlin anymore.

"I'm just saying that there is no evil in sorcery, Arthur. It is only in the hearts of men," Merlin clarified.

"Apparently, every man uses his magic for the wrong purposes then," Arthur countered, effectively shutting off their conversation.

"Arthur?" Merlin started after a pregnant pause.

"What now, Merlin?" he was starting to feel sleepy and just lay down to succumb to the night's oblivion when his manservant chose to shoo his thoughts of sleep away.

"No man without magic is to enter the Caves of Peril for if they should, ash is all that will be left of them," Merlin quoted the Great Dragon to Arthur.

"What in the world are you saying?" Arthur asked, clearly confused.

"None of you, _us_ ," Merlin corrected his slip, "should enter the Caves of Peril tomorrow, Arthur. Some dark magic will turn us into ashes if we do."

"And, who told you this?" Arthur raised a brow.

"Gaius. I might've forgotten to mention it yesterday," Merlin smiled apologetically through his lies.

"Great! All I desperately need is a forgetful idiot and another hurdle!" Arthur exclaimed softly, letting his head fall back onto the ground.

"I'm sorry," Merlin gravely apologized, looking down at Arthur's face that glowed under the faint moonlight and waning embers of the fire.

 _I want to kiss him. If this is the last night I get to spend with him, I want him to know about my feelings. I don't care if he gives me an answer or not; I don't even care that there is a possibility that he might feel disgusted. Tomorrow we might lose. I might have to sacrifice my secret in front of everyone, Arthur included; if I have to save them from any peril. I might even have to sacrifice my life! If that's the case, I want Arthur to know that I've always loved him. Should I tell him now? Can I?_

"Anything else I should know before your forgetfulness gets us killed, maybe?" Arthur inquired.

 _I can..._

"Yes, there is something," Merlin drawled unsurely but still willing to take his chances.

 _I cannot!_

"Go on then. I need to sleep in case you didn't know," Arthur urged.

"Forgive me, Arthur. I can't anymore," Merlin said.

 _I have to!_

"For what?" Arthur frowned at Merlin and before he could register what was happening, his field of vision filled with black hair and his lips met something moist, soft yet chapped.

It took Arthur a while to realize that his manservant was kissing him tenderly and timidly, afraid of how he might react to Merlin's abrupt action. But, he always knew. It isn't so hard to construe Merlin's appreciative glances at his body and attire, his fumbling and clumsiness that only occurred in Arthur's presence, his tired eyes and hands that still worked on Arthur's every need, his apprehension lined with utter sorrow when Arthur enjoyed the company of Guinevere and Merlin's subtle actions to get his fill of the Prince while dressing him or while bathing him. If he had any qualms before, Arthur was sure now that his manservant harbored romantic feelings that he could never ever return. Not in this life.

"You're not surprised?" Merlin's voice sounded teary as he pulled back.

"No," Arthur replied.

"Why are you not angry with me?" Merlin questioned.

"Do you want me to be angry with you?" Arthur sat up, his eyes filled with pity. Even in the faintest of lights, he could see the teardrops silently spilling out of his manservant's eyes.

"You've always known it, haven't you, from the start?" Merlin asked, realization dawning on his being.

Arthur nodded apologetically and waited. He gave the space Merlin needed and when he was ready, he would speak to Arthur. So, he waited for Merlin to say something. He didn't wait long.

"I love you, Arthur," Merlin confessed.

It is said that if you confess, you will be free of the weight on your heart but Merlin's confession added to the weight already present on his heart. His chest felt heavy with despair that could never be written off.

"I know," Arthur answered.

"I don't expect you to return what I feel. But I thought it's probably time you knew how I felt about you. Know this Arthur, I will always be loyal to you, as your servant and true friend, till the day I die," through his tears, Merlin admitted that he wanted nothing more than friendship from the Prince. His loyalty and love for Arthur always stopped him from crossing that fine line between madness and sanity.

"You must know this, Merlin. I like you and I am deeply amazed at your fierce loyalty to me and my endeavors. I would never want to lose a loyal friend like you. And I am truly sorry that you have to suffer because of me," Arthur placed his hand on Merlin's shoulder as he spoke.

"No! Arthur, every second I'm with you, it is liberation to me, not agony. I feel so happy. So, do not, even for a moment, think that I suffer because of you. I don't. In fact, I am very happy for you and Guinevere. You have to believe me," Merlin accentuated.

"Then I believe you," Arthur smiled and Merlin returned his smile tentatively.

"Get some sleep, Merlin," Arthur suggested as he patted his servant on the back.

Merlin nodded and allowed himself to sleep on his makeshift blanket-bed, turning away from Arthur. He couldn't look at Arthur tonight for he was ashamed for succumbing to his desires. Arthur had always known and Merlin made a fool of himself all these years. The dark night provided him with a canopy just so he could hide from Arthur's penetrating gaze but he wasn't sure that he could maintain his composure when it dawns in a few hours.

"Merlin?" Arthur's voice snapped him out of his useless musings.

"Yes, Sire?" Merlin answered.

"Shut up," Arthur softly ordered and Merlin understood that the Prince wanted him to stop thinking about trivial things.

"Yes, Sire," he smiled to himself as he drifted off into a dreamless slumber.

Unknown to either of them was that their conversation did not remain unheard.

* * *

"Sister? Sister?!" Morgana's voice sounded hysterical with each passing second.

She rushed past the palace guards stealthily and rode out to the luscious forest around Camelot to call for her sister. Her heart held a turmoil of emotions and she desperately needed someone, her sister, to guide her through them. A whoosh sound indicated that her sister, Morgause has arrived and with a wide smile that questioned the tears in her eyes, Morgana ran and hugged her sister tightly.

"What happened, sister? You look perturbed," Morgause was concerned and wiped away Morgana's tears with the sleeve of her dress.

"It is Merlin," Morgana started.

"Arthur's servant boy? What about him?" Morgause asked, her eyebrows knitted together in disbelief that Morgana would be fearful of a nondescript boy.

"He has magic! I saw it in my vision, sister. All these years and we never knew. Even when I confessed to him about my magic, he never told me that he has magic," she repeated. In a way, a part of her felt betrayed.

"The boy has magic?" Morgause asked no one in particular as if she was just contemplating the really weird information.

"Yes, he does and," Morgana didn't know how to break the egg.

"And what else, sister? What is troubling you about your vision?" Morgause prodded.

"I saw Merlin being crowned the King of Camelot," Morgana said.

"What?!" Morgause gasped.

It surprised her that Merlin was a sorcerer. Merlin, the King of Camelot? Unknowingly, her heart mirrored the intensity of Morgana's turmoil. This surely was bad news.

"What about Guinevere being the Queen of Camelot? You saw it before, didn't you?" she asked.

"I don't know, sister. If I am correct and I suppose I am, I think the future is being overwritten by some unknown yet powerful magical forces. I felt it run through my veins tonight and I'm scared," Morgana wept though she tried to remain strong in vain, apparently.

Morgause was bothered by her sister's breakdown and parallelly, her grief was breaking her heart. Plans for doom and taking back the throne of Camelot aside, Morgause focused her attention on calming Morgana as she palmed her hair in a motherly manner.

"Calm down, sister. I will not let any harm come towards you. I promise," she soothed Morgana until her sobs subsided.

"You all right now?" Morgause cupped Morgana's face in her hands.

"Yes, I'm fine, thank you," Morgana smiled.

"Good, I'm glad," Morgause whispered.

"Sister, there is one more thing I saw. I feel a bit ashamed to say this but I saw Merlin and Arthur kissing in the throne room, after Merlin's coronation," she divulged the last piece of information.

If Morgause wasn't shocked earlier, she certainly was now. Merlin and Arthur in a romantic relationship? Besides, why would the boy allow himself to be crowned as the King in Arthur's presence? His loyalty to Arthur knew no bounds! If he were crowned the King, it meant that somewhere along the lines, his loyalty to his Prince was broken beyond repair. A cruel smirk grazed her lips at the thought.

"Where is the boy now?" she asked Morgana.

"He left with Arthur to the Caves of Peril. Why?" Morgana queried back.

"Caves of Peril? Now, this is interesting," her smirk only widened.

"I don't understand your intentions, sister," Morgana wondered aloud.

"We can use the boy, Morgana, and his magic. The Caves of Peril is but a flower amongst thorns. Besides, I suppose Arthur would be delighted to know that his manservant is a sorcerer," Morgause laugh was openly evil now.

"He would now," Morgana joined her sister with an evil cackle of her own.

"We must go, now. There is a lot to do," Morgause said, taking Morgana's hand.

* * *

 **Next chapter** - **Caves of Peril (I swear this time! I've already started writing it)**

 **Please do follow, favorite and REVIEW!**

 **Bye!**

 **~ Wheezy.**


	6. Caves of Peril

**Hey guys! Thank you for the reviews (mersan123, www) and for the new follows and favorites!**

 **An important note, okay? The next update will be SLOW. I'm on a vacation and am spending time with my family. They're sleeping now so I finished this chapter. It's almost morning here and I haven't slept a bit, you know? I would probably get an hour before me and my family go out partying tomorrow.**

 **I'm damn tired! Next update on 1st Feb or 2nd Feb.**

 **Words:** 2786

* * *

 **6\. Caves of Peril**

It was wrong and he knew that because Arthur wasn't at fault. The problem entirely lied within him. Merlin woke up with a clear mind after having slept like a log only to be pleasantly woken up by bird songs and faint rays of a dewy morning Sun. Only when his eyes fell on an equally peaceful sleeping figure beside him did the events of the previous night come crashing down unto him. And the realization that he confessed to Arthur left him as red as a cherry fruit.

No, he wouldn't look at Arthur! No matter what, he wouldn't! Let Arthur stare at him like he was some unknown reptile; he wouldn't care, not after yesterday.

So, Merlin avoided Arthur like plague and tension rose and enveloped them like a thick blanket on a winter night. Even Guinevere and the Knights could feel that something happened between the Prince and his manservant.

"Merlin," Arthur called out for his servant in his usual drawl that he only used on Merlin's name, though reflexively.

"Gwen, could you check on Arthur and tell him that I'm busy folding sheets and cooking breakfast at the same time?" Merlin rushed his speech which resulted in him ending his sentence in a shrill squeak.

He cleared his voice.

"Are you all right? Did you fight with Arthur?" there was this glint in her eyes that spoke volumes, as if she knew what transpired between him and the Prince.

"I'm too busy to indulge in Arthur's tantrums right now," Merlin chuckled as he beat a blanket in the air to remove dust and dried leaves from it.

"Merlin!" Arthur screamed.

"Please, will you?" Merlin smiled and Gwen returned his gesture.

This time, he really had no purpose to call for his manservant. He just wanted Merlin to look at him in the eye and talk to him. Yesterday, it wasn't supposed to go down like that. He had known Merlin's feelings for him since ages; the boy was practically a human puppy who loitered around Arthur for no particular reason. Despite the knowledge of his feelings, Arthur really did try to overlook and ignore Merlin's not so subtle advances. He wouldn't call them advances per se because Merlin wasn't an attention seeker. Not even in his dreams would he think of harming his friendship with Gwen or with Arthur. He was probably trying to get his fill while he still could and Arthur wouldn't blame the man for it.

"Did something happen between you and Merlin?" Guinevere asked Arthur hurriedly.

"No, why would you think that?" his question only raised suspicion in Gwen.

"Why? Because Merlin's not looking at you and is obviously avoiding you, isn't he?" Gwen declared.

For that, Arthur had no answer, not to Gwen. Merlin was doing his chores, like usual – packing everyone's strewn out stuff, untying the horses, saddling them properly, bantering with Sir Leon occasionally… He had to do something or else the awkwardness between them would only keep growing and Arthur didn't want to lose the truest friend he'd ever had in his life, not because of a love he could neither appreciate nor give.

"Excuse me for a moment, Guinevere," he said and walked towards Merlin.

Merlin didn't observe the Prince walking towards him as he was trying to saddle one of the horses, quite clumsily. Arthur only stopped when he was merely a few inches from Merlin's body.

"Merlin," his voice was chastising.

"Arthur!" Merlin exclaimed in shock and dropped the saddle which was supposed to fall on the ground but fell on Merlin's foot instead.

"Ow!" he groaned and jumped in the air, clutching his hurt foot, causing him to fall back on Arthur.

"You clumsy idiot!" Arthur chided as he tried to steady his manservant by holding onto his upper arms. "Can't you do one thing right?!"

"Well, if you hadn't pulled a sneak attack on me, I would've been fine, you clotpole!" Merlin growled.

They were too close for comfort. Merlin's body was on fire, being so close to the man of his dreams. He'd give anything in the world to stay just like that, warm in Arthur's embrace. This was how Gwen felt when Arthur embosomed her, Merlin thought. If only a few moments, if only a few touches, Merlin would give up anything for that. He relaxed as the pain in his foot subsided.

"You can let me go now," Merlin squeaked.

Apparently, his squeak helped Arthur notice their closeness and he released him gently, not to seem suspicious.

"Breakfast?" Arthur asked just to diffuse the awkwardness that settled between them.

"It's ready Sire. I'll bring you your plate," Merlin squeezed past the Prince.

* * *

Their horses seemed tired. It would be expected because they'd been traveling in pairs on their poor horses and their destination seemed no closer than before. The Caves of Peril were indeed as mysterious as they heard. Midday Sun glared at them despite the chill of the forest winds.

"To me now, this quest seems quite useless and fruitless," Arthur casually remarked to Merlin.

In his mind, he directed that statement at Merlin but its recipients, apart from his manservant, were Gwen, who rode with Arthur, and Sir Leon, who rode with Merlin.

"We can turn back now, if you wish," Merlin suggested.

"You're such a coward, Merlin," Arthur said without spite.

"Prat," Merlin mumbled under his breath.

"I heard that!" Arthur glared at his manservant while the latter just smirked in response.

Their exchange abruptly ended, not because they didn't have anything to say but because of a black mist that flowed in wisps towards and around them.

"What's that?" Sir Leon questioned aloud as he drew out his sword.

Following his action, the other knights and army men, including Arthur, Merlin, and Gwen, unsheathed their swords.

"Be alert, everyone. We're dealing with sorcery and I must remind you once again to not enter the caves if wish for yourself to not turn into a pile of ash," Arthur announced his warning to his men.

"Yes, Sire!" everyone replied in unison and on they marched.

The black mist turned into dark greyish clouds as they moved forth. The earlier glare of the Sun wasn't penetrating these clouds, whatever they are, and Arthur supposed that they might be the result of some sorcery if they're so successfully defying the forces of Nature. The Camelot men were now enveloped in a pool of dark greyish clouds and black mist, making it harder for them to see the path.

"Should we stop and go back now, Arthur?" Merlin asked, not even trying to hide the terror in his voice.

"Be a man, Merlin," Arthur chided though deep down in his heart, he was more scared than he ever was. Only his duty as the Crown Prince of Camelot kept him from turning back and galloping away to the safety of his royal room.

"I think you should listen to Merlin for once, turn back and save your men's lives for once, Arthur," Gwen whispered so that only the Prince could ear. It would be wrong and a grave mistake to defy her would-be man amongst his loyal men.

"I cannot, Guinevere. This is my duty and I cannot forsake it," Arthur said through his clenched teeth.

A low eerie hum mantled them and involuntarily, all of them sat up, straightening their backs in anticipation of what, they didn't know, neither could they guess. Arthur was absolute in thinking that this was the work of the lately infamous sorcerers of the Caves of Peril. Who else would create palls of black clouds when the Sun was shining, even if wasn't bright or hot enough? He also noticed that the temperature of their surroundings dropped low and he could literally see his breath in small fumes when he exhaled.

"It's the sorcerers, right?" Sir Leon queried.

"I think so. We must be wary now that we are in their territory. We must not lose to this magic," Arthur said with conviction.

Merlin sat unusually quiet throughout their entire exchange. To say he was terrified would just be an understatement of what he's feeling while sitting behind the tough and brave Sir Knight Leon. If only he understood when Kilgharrah had told him about the dangers of the quest they so blindly partook in, he would've tried convincing Arthur to turn back. Witnessing the darkness now is terrifying him down to his last bones. And there was this other thing he's feeling, as if his magic was shifting to places unknown. It flowed through his veins and burned his insides, leaving him to whimper in pain at times, which Arthur and Sir Leon mistook for pusillanimity. One particular moment, he felt a crawl inside his head and he groaned aloud, unable to withstand the pain any longer, with his head held gingerly in his sword clad hands.

"Would you please shut up, Merlin?" Arthur snapped before tilting his head to look at a delirious looking Merlin.

"Merlin? Merlin?!" Arthur called but Merlin couldn't seem to hear the Prince anymore.

This worried Arthur a lot more than the others because his men didn't seem to know Merlin as well as his Knights did. Arthur only trained his Knights personally and not his army so only they knew the puppy that tagged along with him everywhere.

"He looks gravely ill, Sire," Sir Vidor spoke from the second group.

Traveling at the back of a pack came with cons as well as pros. He'd been observing the boy since the black mist impaled over their group and he didn't look good at all. Round and round he went like a rotating mace and Sir Vidor feared the boy's situation more than facing their enemies.

"Yes, he certainly does," Arthur directed it at Sir Vidor but his attention was on a nearly unconscious and fazed Merlin.

"Merlin, can you hear me?" Arthur stopped trotting his horse and the rest followed.

Merlin, on the other hand, could hear nothing except the low hum. It grew louder and louder in his ears and he tried shaking it off in vain to the point where it became unbearable.

"Please, make it stop," he cried and tears rolled down his cheeks in fat rivulets.

His sword fell to the forest floor in a dry thud, cutting a few grass blades as it fell. Merlin's hands moved to his ears as he tried to stop the devilish ringing that invaded his hearing canals. He started scratching at his ears, plucking them, trying futilely to make that queer sound stop.

"Leon, the fool's hurting himself! Hold his arms!" Arthur ordered the Knight and bent down towards Guinevere. "Guinevere, would you mind if I exchanged places with Sir Leon here?" Arthur asked, gently rubbing her upper arms in a gesture of love and a plea of understanding.

Gwen hesitated for the briefest of moments. There were a few matters she wished to discuss with Arthur and his manservant but this was not the time. Whatever she heard the night before, wasn't of concern or import now. She could discuss it later if they made it out alive at the end of this suicide mission. Besides, Merlin, despite his love for Arthur and jealousy towards her for securing Arthur's love, had always helped her when she needed support. He could've just said no but he never did. He never let his reins of jealousy and want for Arthur pull him away from the friendship she and he shared. So, it's time she returned the favor and helped Merlin. She nodded brusquely with a tight smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"I will walk, Sire. It would be no problem," Sir Leon offered, embarrassed to sit on a horse behind the possible future Queen of Camelot. and mistaking her curt nod for refusal to share the ride with him.

Sir Leon was trying his best to pull Merlin's hands away from his ears, which were now reddish purple, with all the rough scratching Merlin inflicted on the poor flesh. His angle wasn't helping as he sat in front of Merlin but he was still trying. Merlin was just too stubborn to cooperate.

"No, Sir Knight! It would be my pleasure so please," Gwen said, noticing that Sir Leon had taken in her flickers of hesitation which wasn't directed at the Knight but at Merlin and Arthur.

"Please, stop!" Merlin's chants didn't subside and he shook his hands away from Sir Leon's loose grip and kept on pulling his ears. A short while later, Arthur slid on the horse behind him and Sir Leon settled himself respectfully behind Guinevere, apologizing for the situation.

"Merlin, you are hurting yourself," Arthur caught Merlin's wrists and pinned them down onto the saddle, in front of Merlin.

With no leverage, Merlin began to shake his head vigorously, trying to shake off the annoying hum, hitting Arthur's chin in the process.

"Merlin! Listen to me! Whatever you are going through, it is a hallucination. You must listen to me. Focus on my voice alone. Can you hear me? Merlin?" Arthur tried talking his manservant out of the false visions he was probably seeing in his head.

What Arthur and the others, including the warlock himself, didn't know was the Dark Magic was interfering with Merlin's innate magical abilities. All through his life, Merlin never faced an opponent stronger than him in levels of Magic. Even Nimueh was a low-magic being compared to Merlin. She might've practiced magic for years but Merlin's magic proved to be stronger than the one she had, her corrupted magic. This magic was as old as the Old Religion itself and was in form even before Kilgharrah was born. This magic was darker than the darkest night and stronger than the largest and sturdiest mountain of rock.

It clashed with the new magic that Merlin carried unwittingly into its unblemished territory. Since it was way stronger, it won over Merlin's weaker magic, trying to expel it, dispose of it. Merlin was fighting the darkness instinctively and losing. He desperately needed to open his eyes and take control of his human part instead of trying to fight the darkness with his magic. Only when Merlin embraced the human in him and bowed down to the Dark Magic would he live. Until he could figure out a way to use his magic, he must remain a human.

"Arthur? Please," he whined Arthur's name as he heard the Prince call out for him in the fog that clouded his insides, blood starting to flow out of his ears.

"Blood," Leon whispered in terror. "Arthur, there's blood in his ears!" he pointed out to an oblivious Arthur, who was solely concentrating on holding Merlin's hands down.

"We have to wake him up before it's too late, Arthur," as soon as Gwen finished her sentence, blood started to flow out of Merlin's nostrils in thin streams.

"Merlin, wake up now, you idiot!" Arthur's voice quavered uneasily as he shifted his arms and held Merlin's two thin wrists with his left palm and used his wet right nervous palm to slap Merlin hard.

As if their circumstances weren't bad enough, the black mist that shrouded them started to clear slowly. It was strange, the way the clouds parted because they weren't going anywhere. The clouds moved rapidly, a few to the left and a few to the right. When the mist stopped moving, the low light was more than enough for the men of Camelot to see four identical stone arches.

"Is that what I think it is?" Leon asked.

"I think so, Sir Knight," Gwen's eyes were transfixed on the dark beauty that was unraveled in front of their eyes.

The Caves looked dark on the inside. Not even a speck of light filtered in or out. The black mist and dark grey clouds surrounded the caves like ornaments. If it wasn't for the knowledge that the Caves only brought jeopardy, Gwen would admit the scene looked quite picturesque.

"The Caves of Peril," Arthur stated and his voice rustled around to his men, who tightened their grip on their swords, spears, and bows.

Merlin screamed gutturally.

* * *

 **That's it for this week, folks! Happy weekend!**

 **DO REVIEW, PLEASE? I would love to read your thoughts! It will keep my writer spirit up!**

 **Bye!**

 **~ Wheezy.**


	7. The truth that ran us down

**Thank you, guys, for patiently putting up with my delay. Here's the promised chapter on the promised date. A treat for your patience is - EXTRA LONG CHAPTER!**

 **I enjoyed my vacation a lot and here I am, away from home and back to work once more. Boo-hoo :(**

 **Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!**

 **Words:** 5501

* * *

 **7\. The truth that ran us down**

Merlin's condition only worsened at the revelation of the Caves. Arthur, unknowledgeable of Merlin's magic, couldn't understand why his manservant was thrashing like a fish that fell out of water's reach. Yet, he tried with all his might to contain Merlin's fit by encircling his strong muscled arms around his lithe bony manservant without any extra effort on his part. Still, his screaming didn't cease. Arthur wouldn't be surprised at all if Merlin lost his voice after they made it out of here alive; if they made it out alive.

The hum was an irritable noise now, loud and overwhelming like the screech of a griffin. Somewhere, he could faintly hear his name through all that noise but it was faded. He tried to hold on to the fragment that pronounced his name yet all he could reach out to was more of that deafening noise.

"Stop, stop!" he chanted like there was no tomorrow.

As if on cue, the noises stopped abruptly. A blanket of pleasant silence wrapped around his mind, soothing his sensitive nerves. Yet, the silence didn't feel real because, in his mind's eye, he could see himself working in Arthur's room, or more precisely, making Arthur's bed like a routine. If the silence were real, he would not be in Arthur's room in Camelot now, would he?

* * *

 _He heard a humming noise again. It wasn't piercing but low and salubrious, like a song; he heard himself crooning a rhyme he distantly recalled his mother singing to him when he was a child – **The Dark Prince**. Though its title was not supposed to be on the list of children's rhymes, Merlin oddly felt attracted to this particular one. It talked about a Prince who brought upon treachery, anguish, revenge, and darkness to this world, which was once devoid of the aforementioned feelings. The Prince, mighty and hefty with lofty treasures, who loved another man so deeply; he couldn't help but take any path to claim that man as his own. On the road to gaining his forbidden love, he loses the revered path of righteousness and trails along a path unknown to mankind, invoking the darkness._

 _Lost in nothingness, the Prince was rendered blind and powerless. Alternatively, he decided to use his voice to reach the man of his dreams. The only drive that pushed him forward was the image of the man he loved and hopelessly wanted to claim as his own. When his voice did no wonders, his cries brought grave despair and anguish upon the otherwise jocund world. Blinded by his own tears even as the Sun filled the sky, the Prince turned into a curse for those around him. Anyone who approached him could only seek betrayal from the Prince. His treachery knew no bounds as it started to flow like a river through the hearts of all he met._

 _One fine day, beaten and battered by the challenges he faced, he came across the beauty who stole his heart and being. A smile graced his chapped blue lips after many years and he sought out to capture his beloved, only to find that the man is already a family man with two little daughters running about and an infant son. Angered and betrayed, the Prince unleashed the darkness upon the world, demolishing the warmth of the Sun and the Sun itself. His eyes, red like a venomous snake and so used to the Darkness, searched for an opportunity to strike his beloved's family. And, strike he did, a fatal one, in the name of revenge. His beloved found dead bodies of his wife and his children inside the little cottage he built for himself and his family._

 _The Prince then showed himself to the man he loved, told him of his never-ending love and that they could only be together if they weren't on this Earth. Without slipping a second, he pierced his beloved and himself with a two-sided dagger. They died together – one willingly out of twisted love, the other in a state of shock. The Prince, who brought upon evil and despair, was thus named the Dark Prince after his demise._

 _Merlin sang the rhyme with fervor as he did his chores._

 _"I do not understand why Hunith agreed to teach you that vile song, Merlin," Arthur now entered his field of vision._

Besides, how did Arthur know about that? He never told Arthur about his childhood or his life back at Ealdor.

 _"Because I liked it?" Merlin saw himself smile teasingly at Arthur by sitting on the Prince's bed._

Why the hell was he sitting on Arthur's bed like it was his own? Arthur would surely throw a fit.

 _Arthur didn't throw a fit. Instead, he approached Merlin sultrily; situating himself between Merlin's pushed open knees, an action, for the record, Arthur did._

 _"What else do you like, Merlin?" Arthur pressed his forehead to Merlin's and whispered._

 _"You mean, WHO," Merlin corrected, raising a perfectly black brow._

 _"Say it," Arthur barked, teasing Merlin by almost kissing him but drawing back when Merlin tried to glue their lips together._

 _"You, Arthur. I like you. Arthur, please!" Merlin begged, looking at Arthur's red plump lips._

* * *

"Arthur, please!" Merlin whined and everyone who heard his voice could hear the lust in his voice.

"Yes, Merlin, I'm right here," Arthur gulped as Merlin sank back into his chest and was surprised by the calmness that laced his voice against the erratic thudding of his heart.

Arthur didn't know what was happening to Merlin, just that it wasn't good or appropriate - the lust cradling his plea conveyed that part to everyone. He had to save his manservant and he had no idea how. Merlin was sweating so profusely that his shirt took on a deeper shade of blue, sticking to his skin. The blood flowing from his ears didn't cease either though it slowed down in speed and intensity.

"Sire?! Arthur!" Leon's urgent call snapped his attention towards the Knight and temporarily away from Merlin

"The sorcerers, I presume," he pointed his index at a few blurry darkened silhouettes that were walking out of the Caves of Peril.

"That they are. Assume positions!" Arthur commanded and was about to dismount his horse when he remembered that he still held his manservant in his arms, who was now limp and unmoving.

"Guinevere, I need you to stay with Merlin and try to revive him. Keep him safe," Arthur told Gwen.

"Yes, Arthur," she agreed immediately and helped Arthur in dismounting Merlin first, then himself. He carried Merlin in his arms behind a rocky sand dune that was to the far right of the Caves and laid him down onto the gravelly yet grassy floor. It ensured that Merlin and Guinevere were hidden from the vision of the oncoming sorcerers.

"Take care of yourself and do not enter the battle, if it must ensue, at any cost," Arthur didn't give Guinevere a chance to protest as he took her by a fierce long kiss. She returned the kiss with fervor and wished Arthur good luck. Sparing a worried glance at his unconscious servant, Arthur drew out his sword and rushed to lead his battalion.

They were seven in total, the sorcerers, as they stood a few paces away from Arthur, who was accompanied by Sir Leon to his left, Sir Vidor to his right, and Sir Caridoc amongst the army men. The sorcerers looked old, very. Their skin was visibly wrinkled, like the folds of a blanket after a good night's sleep. One peculiar thing Arthur or his men couldn't help but notice was the white in their eyes. There was no black or any color at all; they didn't seem to have any eyeballs. It was also surprising that they wore white robes, tattered at places, as opposed to the darkness that befell them.

Contrary to what Arthur expected, the sorcerers didn't seem scary or strong, save for their magic and their dubious eyes. His men could easily bring them down without lifting a sword even, he supposed. Mystifyingly, they stood in a 'V' shape, the pointy end towards Arthur and his men. The man who stood at the front was taller than the others, a bit bulkier, and had a queer air about him which gave out false vibes of relaxation.

"Leave while you have the chance, else you will be put to a trance! And shall save you none, if you choose not to run!" the frontman, Arthur supposed, spoke to them in simple understandable verses.

"I am – ," Arthur started.

"We know who you are, men of Camelot come from afar," a sorcerer, whose voice sounded distinctly like a lady, cut Arthur's introduction off. She stood at the last, to the extreme right of the 'V'.

"The Pendragon born of Uther, the young Prince Arthur," another male sorcerer spoke, who stood right before the previous lady speaker.

"You come here seeking war, against the sorcery you abhor," the frontman spoke again, his voice rough like tree bark.

"I only seek peace for my people back in Camelot. As long as you are here, peace would just be a far cry," Arthur said.

"What have we disrupted? Who have we corrupted? Lived all these years in fear, to our cries you paid no ear! Your father murdered our kith and kin, Camelot is deluged with the King's sin!" the frontman wailed and coughed after. His lack of use of his voice was evident in the way he spoke.

"My father did what he had to because your kind waged a war against us!" Arthur shot back in anger.

"Says the man who wasn't even born, fake revenge you try and adorn," the frontman sneered disapprovingly at Arthur.

"Fake revenge?! You will pay for your crimes, sorcerer, you will pay with your life now!" Arthur sneered back and turned towards his men.

"For the love of Camelot!" Arthur raised his sword in the air as a signal for his men to charge forth.

"For the love of Camelot!" everyone echoed, their swords bowing to Arthur's sword in the air.

And they rushed towards the sorcerers.

* * *

Morgause transported Morgana to the Caves using a spell. Their plan would go well this time, they were sure of it and finally, Morgana would claim her rightful place on the throne of Camelot. She was deprived of a Father and a Mother from her childhood. Her true Father never acknowledged her as his daughter; she was always only his 'ward' and nothing more. She felt no love, she had no one until she met Morgause, her sister, who loved her like a mother, cared for her like a father. Morgause was the only one she could confide in.

Even her friendships were a pretense. Gwen? She would stab her for Arthur any day. Merlin? He knew that she had magic and he never chose to divulge his secret to her. She could've shared her burdens with Merlin but that chance was long gone when Merlin poisoned her and tried to kill her. For once, she could've had the chance to not be alone anymore, to not be disgusted with what she was yet Merlin betrayed her and her trust in him. He betrayed her fondness for him and he deserved no more than death for it, but first, he had to lose everything and everyone; himself even. And Morgana would ensure that; she would make sure that his hidden truth will collapse the trust and love he built with Camelot, its people, and especially, Arthur Pendragon.

"You know what you must do, sister," Morgause pressed Morgana's shoulder for emphasis.

"I do," she answered confidently as she watched Arthur and his men being brutally beaten by the sorcerers of the Caves of Peril.

When will Uther and Arthur understand that it is only sorcery that can counter sorcery? Manmade weapons are nothing but toys in the face of magic.

"There, the servant boy and the servant girl," Morgause pointed towards Merlin and Gwen.

"I see them, sister. Now it's my turn to be the good Morgana I've always been in their eyes," she chuckled with a sway of her body as she looked at an unconscious Merlin.

Morgause smiled sinisterly.

* * *

The clang of swords dulled as the men of Camelot fell one by one.

" **Acwellan seo mannes** (Kill the man!)," a sorcerer pointed his stick at Sir Caridoc and he fell down in an unmoving lifeless heap.

"No!" Arthur whispered at the Knight's abrupt death as he tried to fight against the magic.

"More shall fall, unless you off the battle call," the frontman warned.

"We return from here after you die," Arthur screamed and charged forth.

" **Faerblaed hine fiornsip!** (Blast him away!)" the front man directed the spell at Arthur, who was lifted off the ground and thrown into a nearby tree.

Arthur's head hit the tree hard, rendering him insentient.

"Arthur, no!" Guinevere and Leon exclaimed in unison.

Forgetting the plight of Merlin and Arthur's warning, Gwen was immediately at Arthur's side, checking for injuries and worried beyond measure.

Morgana took this as a chance to secretly slip into the commotion, laden in her armor and sword, closely followed by Morgause. She stealthily walked towards Merlin and knelt down beside him, who was now quivering again, still sweating and muttering incoherent words. Morgause situated herself behind the rock dune, away from any peering eyes.

"What's happening to him, sister?" Morgana asked, frowning down at Merlin's body.

"He's trapped in hallucinations. As I've mentioned earlier to you, this place is an abode of Dark Magic. It has been so for years. And, this place can only accept magic of its own kind," Morgause explained.

"That means?" Morgana asked.

"That means this boy is the light to our Darkness, Morgana. The Magic infiltrating this place is more powerful than the boy's magic and it's slowly crippling him from the inside. He is now trapped in a world of his darkest desires and his magic is not strong enough to counter the hallucinations he's seeing," Morgause continues, as she palmed Merlin's cheek rather softly. "I'd rather say, enjoying," she added with a smirk.

"His darkest desires… I wonder what he's seeing," Morgana genuinely said as she stroked Merlin's eyes with her thumb.

"He can only see that shall never come to pass in reality, sister. That is why these hallucinations are filled with a person's darkest desires," Morgause said.

"Can we see what he's seeing? In that way, we can have more control over the situation," Morgana sounded extremely curious about Merlin. Of course, Morgause would never admit that out loud.

" **Geunnan usu beinnan cerdic swefnreccerum ond critesmel brimlad** (Make way and allow us into his dreams)," Morgause chanted with her palm facing Merlin's head, a few inches away from it.

Now, they could see the secret Merlin long stashed away in the darkest corners of his heart.

 **o#*#o**

 _"Merlin, you are beautiful, so handsome," Arthur praised as he kissed down Merlin's naked chest._

 _"No more," Merlin whispered hotly, his eyes closed and his head was thrown back into Arthur's pillow in sheer ecstasy._

 _"You mean it?" Arthur stopped kissing Merlin, and the latter whined at the loss of Arthur's lips on his skin._

 _"No, not at all. Come up here," Merlin tugged Arthur's golden hair rather harshly as he crashed their lips together._

 _"I could never get enough of your lips, your tongue," Merlin said against Arthur's swollen and bloody lips from biting and nipping._

 _"Nor I yours, love," Arthur pecked Merlin softly._

 **o#*#o**

" **Utfarum!** (Exit!)" Morgause chanted and they were snapped back to a reality of swords and screams and falling bodies.

"Arthur?" Morgana spoke in a daze. Morgause was nonplussed by what she witnessed and her mind couldn't help but take in this new information for later use against the boy and his Prince.

"A servant who is love with the Prince! A male servant," Morgause looked at Morgana but received no response.

"Merlin desires Arthur," Morgana unknowingly tightened her grip on Merlin's neckerchief.

Morgause was rooted to the ground in shock when a couple of tears escaped Morgana's eyes.

"Morgana? Sister, why are you crying?" she asked worriedly.

Morgana truly felt betrayed. Everyone toyed with her feelings. Had she always cared for such people? She must've been truly mad for trusting them, for letting them rule over her mundane life while she was trying to be recognized and love. She had been a fool, an utterly despondent fool!

"It's nothing, sister. I will have my vengeance against Uther, Arthur, and everyone else," she looked down at Merlin.

"Then wake him up and do your part in letting Arthur see for himself who his servant really is," Morgause goaded her sister.

"I will. You must leave now, sister. I will call for you later," Morgana smiled, her eyes glowing with love Morgause had never seen prior to this day.

"Good luck," Morgause grasped Morgana's hand one last time before vanishing.

"Now, Merlin, time to face your truth. **Oiricwrecce nu** (Wake now)," Morgana's magic was not strong enough to wake Merlin.

" **Oiricwrecce nu!** " she let her magic flow freely in her veins as her eyes glowed gold once again with more intensity than before.

With an inaudible snap, Merlin's eyes flew open. For a moment, they shone golden before turning back into bright blue. His head, ears, and his whole body hurt. He tried sitting up with the help of a blurry figure who looked like a woman. He rightfully assumed the figure to be Guinevere, the only lady in their group.

"Gwen, is that you?" he asked, clutching his head and resting against the rock.

"Hello, Merlin," Morgana greeted. Merlin could recognize that voice anywhere and his posture immediately turned defensive as the world became clearer and more audible to him by the second. He could hear screams of the men of Camelot as they fought against the most powerful sorcerers.

"What have you done to me, Morgana?" he rasped as he moved away from her.

"Oh, I have done nothing this place could do to you and your magic, Merlin," she felt an odd satisfaction in watching Merlin tensing over the revelation of his magic. His brows swallowed by the untidy fringes of his hair and his eyes twitching in shock and fear; Morgana relished in his reaction.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Merlin said with a subtle yet hasty shake of his head, which worsened the pain in his head.

"You can deny or hide your secret all you want, Merlin but it doesn't change the fact that you have magic. Like me. We are the same," Morgana said.

"I am nothing like you," Merlin spat in disgust and anger, which offended Morgana.

Before she could say or do anything, two voices interrupted her.

"Morgana?!" "Lady Morgana?" Arthur and Gwen exclaimed.

Her cunning face morphed into beauty before she showed herself to Arthur and her maid.

"Arthur! Gwen!" she stood and hugged them both, one after the other.

"What are you doing here when you're not supposed to be here?" Arthur demanded, shaking her by her arm slightly.

"I thought I could help you and so I followed you. I want to face the evil that haunted me for the past year, Arthur. I don't want to hide anymore," Morgana started crying towards the end and Merlin, as he stood on his feet, thought that Morgana was now beyond any redemption.

"I understand. If this will help you, so be it," Arthur wiped away her tears lovingly.

"Thank you, Arthur," she smiled.

"Be careful," he told Morgana before realizing that his manservant was wide awake.

"Merlin! I thought I lost you," Arthur chuckled in pure happiness as he hugged Merlin.

"You won't get rid of me so soon, Arthur," Merlin's eyes wrinkled with his broad smile. He acknowledged Gwen with a nod, who, he observed, smiled at him tightly, as though she wasn't happy to see him alive.

A loud scream brought the men back to reality. They looked in horror and terror as Sir Vidor's head was slashed from the rest of his body. Sir Vidor's head rolled and stopped at Arthur's feet, who looked like he was going to vomit any second. This was barbaric! He had never seen his Knights beheaded and the ease with which these sorcerers attacked them without hesitation, surprised Arthur. With Sir Vidor's head at his feet, Arthur was sure that no magic is healthful. Sorcery is pure evil and it must be eradicated at all costs.

"I will bring justice upon my fallen men. This is my oath as the Prince of Camelot," he declared and ran towards the frontman, closely followed by Merlin.

"Gwen, you must stay here," Morgana pushed her maid into the safety the rock dune provided before rushing out into the battlefield.

She saw Merlin fighting a sorcerer with his magic and smirked. It is time she showed Arthur who his servant really was. It is time she killed the root of her problems, Merlin. As for Arthur, he can be patiently dealt with after removing his manservant from his side.

Merlin's magic was unstable. Even the power and knowledge Kilgharrah provided him with was turning out to be utterly useless. There was no chance he could win against magic that was older than the Old Religion yet he tried with every nerve in his body to contain the dark sorcery.

"Boy with the magic of light, you know not your doomed plight! You are but the flame of a candle, it is nothing the darkness of night cannot handle," the lady sorcerer guffawed as she blasted Merlin away.

In blasting him away, she saw Merlin's magical aura shift. He wasn't just a normal sorcerer; he was _the destined one_ they've always heard of and feared. He was _Emrys_! This puny little boy with magic weaker than a leaf would bring upon their destruction? What had the old prophecies thought? They were such a faux!

" **Drihten!** (Lord!)" The lady shouted for the attention of the frontman. "This boy here is Emrys, the one destined for the abyss!"

For a moment, the sorcerers stilled at her announcement. Arthur took this chance to attend to Sir Leon, who was bleeding profusely from his thigh. Tearing a strip off his tunic, Arthur tied it around Leon's wound tightly to stop more blood from flowing.

"You need to rest, Leon," Arthur said.

"Sire, our men are lost. Only a few of us are standing. I cannot afford to rest," Leon spoke breathlessly.

"I know. We shall retreat for now," Arthur said, clearly disappointed in himself for leading a failed mission.

Leon nodded.

"Emrys?" Morgana wondered, listening to the sorcerer's conversation.

"Retreat!" Arthur tried commanding his men inconspicuously but was heard by the Drihten of the Caves.

"Not so fast, you cannot now run past," the frontman growled and with the pull of his magic, he stuck the men of Camelot to the ground, including Gwen and Morgana, who squealed in shock.

The Drihten walked till he stood in front of Arthur, sparing a fleeting yet knowing glance at Morgana.

"This will only end with your head in my hands, young Pendragon," he hissed in Arthur's face before incanting. " **Heafod sylfum Arthur Pendragon cyrfe fram cerdic grynel -** ," (Head of Arthur Pendragon severed from his neck - )

The frontman never completed his incantation as a powerful roar, accompanied by an unseen force, pushed him away from Arthur. Like a storm, the place was filled with strong wind and it slammed down everyone, friend and foe included.

"You shall not harm Arthur Pendragon!" Merlin screamed like an otherworldly being at the sorcerers of the Caves, his hand stretched out, legs unsteady yet firm and his eyes... they were glowing balls of fire.

Morgana, having accomplished her mission without any solid involvement on her part, felt it was her lucky day and smiled evilly when Arthur looked at Merlin with something akin to shock and despair, as he sat up from the ground. The force of Merlin's magic, combined with a few of the dragon's powers, caused an explosive wind of power. After gathering her strength, Gwen crawled out to situate herself beside Arthur, Morgana to her right. The remaining men of Camelot looked at the scene in unprecedented fright.

Merlin's chest heaved with exertion as he tried controlling his blown out magic and brought it in successfully. And a fight ensued.

Sorcery against sorcery.

Light against Dark.

One against Seven.

Morgana smiled in triumph when tears of visible betrayal choked Arthur's eyes.

"No, he can't be. It's Merlin… I refuse to accept it," Arthur's voice broke and Gwen hugged him, trying to soothe him.

"It is Merlin, Arthur. He is a sorcerer," admitting it was even harder for Gwen.

Now, it was time to play her part, Morgana thought, as she crumpled her victorious face into a fear-filled face.

"Arthur, there is a reason why I'm here today. It wasn't just about facing my fears. I also wanted to warn you about Merlin," she started.

"What about Merlin? Wait, did you _know_ he was a _sorcerer_ , Morgana?" Arthur asked, looking at Merlin fighting the sorcerers with his magic and losing.

"Yes, I did. But I also know more. I don't know how to tell you this, Arthur," she clucked her tongue in mock frustration.

"It's okay, my Lady," Gwen took her hands in her own as a gesture of compassion and strength. Morgana smiled at her before speaking.

"It was Merlin who caused Uther's hallucinations and sent him to his possible death. He used a mandrake root to torture your father mentally by making him see the ghosts of those he once murdered," Morgana said, a lone tear escaping her left eye.

"How did you know? And why haven't you told me all these weeks?" Arthur demanded furiously.

"I've known it from the start! Besides, you wouldn't have believed me. Your trust in Merlin is too hard to break," Morgana said feebly.

"You do not get to decide who I trust, Morgana! You should have told me," Arthur growled earnestly.

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you, Arthur, because your servant, who is apparently a sorcerer, threatened me with my life!" she looked down, picking at the grass. Gwen gasped in pure shock and disbelief.

"Threatened? It isn't like Merlin at all," Arthur couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"See, Arthur? This was why I could never tell you. Merlin isn't all that he seems and here's your proof, dancing with sorcery right in front of your eyes!" Morgana pointed at Merlin, who was now on the ground, beaten and bloody. Nobody was even trying to help the man because they had seen his sorcery too and they were truly and deeply frightened.

"I can't believe Merlin would try to kill the King. He's a loyal man and he could never do it, my Lady," Gwen's confidence irked Morgana and Arthur's silence even more.

"Believe what you want, Arthur, Gwen. I know what I saw and I feared my life though I was safe under the roof of the citadel. Merlin is nothing more than an evil sorcerer who tried to kill my guardian, my King and I will never forgive him for it. If you want to save him, you must do so now. If you believe me, you know what you must do," Morgana ended her argument.

"Arthur!" Merlin croaked, stretching his hand out for Arthur's help.

Yes, he let loose his magic but he was sure that Arthur would discuss his magic later, after escaping from the clutches of the Dark sorcerers. His magic couldn't survive against the Dark magic of seven powerful sorcerers and he fell. Now, he needed help, Arthur's help else, he would lose his life.

"Arthur, help!" he called out again but saw no sign of Arthur coming to help him.

After contemplating Morgana's revelations Arthur reached a decision. Morgana would never lie, not to him, at least. There was too much evidence against Merlin to believe that he was a good person though he had magic. "I will help no sorcerer like you," Arthur's words pierced through him like the sharpest sword and Merlin felt himself tearing apart on the inside. Arthur's words seemed like a sad lie at first. Maybe, Arthur was toying with him but when he saw how steely Arthur's posture was, he understood that Arthur wasn't one to joke in life-threatening situations. Arthur was abandoning him for being a sorcerer. This wasn't the Arthur he served.

Morgana rejoiced in her success.

"Arthur, I'm sorry I hid my magic from you. We can talk about this after we go back to Camelot. I only ever used my magic for you, Arthur, only to save you," he spoke frantically as Arthur and the others stood up.

"Camelot shall house no sorcerer. You are an evil murderer and I will not help you, Merlin. I'm truly sorry," Arthur was turning his back on Merlin and he couldn't help but cry in fear for his life, in fear of separation from the man he loved, cared for, and served with due honor.

"I am not a murderer! My magic has always been your slave, Arthur, believe me, please!" he was begging desperately now that the Drihten's magic is pressing on him forcefully. His own magic was effectively countering the Drihten's magic but it wouldn't be long before his magic is deemed useless.

"Your magic is only a slave to all the evil in this world, Merlin," Arthur spat.

"My magic is not evil," Merlin's voice trembled.

"You're right. There is no evil in sorcery, Merlin. It is only in the hearts of men," Arthur quoted Merlin's words from before as he gazed deep into Merlin's eyes, letting his message of ' _It is you who are evil, not your magic_ ' sink. For once, Merlin did not respond and the silence seemed curious for words.

"Let's have a deal, Arthur Pendragon," one of the sorcerers spoke and he was glad that the man was not speaking in rhymes or verses.

Arthur snapped his gaze towards the man, who looked a tad bit younger than the rest.

"This boy, Emrys, is a very powerful sorcerer who is mentioned in every prophecy ever written. We need him. You need your freedom and Camelot's safety. We shall not infiltrate or invade your lives any further if you leave this boy to us. A fair exchange, don't you think? The boy for Camelot's safety," the man spoke.

Arthur hesitated. He looked at Merlin, whose eyes mirrored the betrayal in his own eyes.

"No, Arthur, please," Merlin cried for help, as he tried to gather his magic to blast the evil sorcerers away in vain.

"It is a onetime deal, Pendragon," the man provoked.

"You promise to never harm any civilian or the Royal family of Camelot?" Arthur queried.

"Arthur, no!" Merlin's scream of plea went unheard.

"We promise," the man acknowledged.

"Then you can have him," Arthur titled his head towards Merlin.

"How can you leave me here?! How can you betray my trust in you?" Merlin asked, angered by Arthur's actions, his tears now flowing freely down his reddened and bloody cheeks.

"You've betrayed my trust in you first, Merlin. It is only fit that you stay where you belong," Arthur said.

"And I belong in Camelot! By your side!" Merlin gritted out through his pain, nearing unconsciousness.

"No, you don't anymore. Your truths ran down whatever we once had between us," Arthur's voice broke once again as the essence of Merlin's betrayal filled his heart. His chest hurt so much that he couldn't help but break down.

"Arthur," Gwen intertwined their fingers and Arthur clutched her hand like a lifeline.

"Please don't leave me here, please," Merlin resorted to begging in his last conscious moments.

"Goodbye, Merlin," Arthur said and those were the last words Merlin heard from the Prince.

He committed Arthur's retreating slumped back to his memory before finally losing consciousness.

* * *

 **Do remember the Dark Prince rhyme mentioned here. I might use it in my later chapters.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW, FOLLOW AND FAVORITE! It is what keeps me going!**

 **Stay tuned for the next chapter and this time, I ain't giving any summary for the next chapter! Sorry!**

 **Until next time, bye!**

 **~ Wheezy.**


	8. Curare

**Thank you for your generous reviews, follows, and favorites.**

 **Warnings - Descriptions of torture.**

 **Henceforth, this story is rated an 'M' from now.**

 **Words:** 3001

* * *

 **8\. Curare**

Maybe, every man had a dual personality – one that they put on display for everyone and the other, hidden inside for personal use only. Maybe, Merlin had one too. Maybe, he had one too. The ease with which he left his manservant behind, in a den of sorcerers, the failed mission, his lost men and Knights, Sir Vidor and Sir Caridoc, everything was eating him up. Arthur was ridden with guilt and he didn't know how to quiet it down. They made camp for the night, unable to travel any further with their injuries and lack of horses. Morgana helped with their injuries to the best of her abilities.

Guinevere cooked some dinner for them and Arthur couldn't eat any more than a spoon of it. Not that her cooking was awfully bad, yes, it was a bit on the offside but the act of cooking reminded him of Merlin as he was the one who always cooked stew for him and his Knights, not Guinevere. The distraught look on Guinevere's face as he refused to eat; only added to his piling guilt. He couldn't muster a few words of encouragement for her because he didn't think that he could speak over the lump that was stuck in his throat like a large boulder.

"You did what you thought was right, Arthur," Gwen sat beside him and tried to soothe his grief while the rest slept fitfully except for Morgana, who slept in contentment.

"Do _you_ think it is right, Guinevere? To leave him there, alone," Arthur could clearly picture Merlin's terrorized eyes, as he turned his back on his manservant. They seemed so hollow, so devoid of life.

"It doesn't matter what I think," Gwen stated.

"It matters to me," Arthur looked at Gwen for comfort that only she could offer him.

Understanding what Arthur wanted, she wrapped her arms around Arthur's bulk and rested his head on her shoulder.

"If he really tried to kill the King, as Morgana said, I believe you are right to leave him there," Gwen said. For once, Arthur felt that he wasn't hearing things he _wanted_ to hear just because he was the Prince and defying him or his words apparently meant his disrespect. Gwen wasn't such a person, he knew that. She always spoke _her_ mind and not his', so he trusted her words. She waited patiently for Arthur to reply.

When none came even after a while and felt her shoulder get wet, she understood perfectly. Arthur never shed tears for anyone. His tears now could only mean that Merlin's loss affected the Prince greatly and there was no turning back from his feelings, there was no control over his emotions. She did what she could do then – offered her shoulder for Arthur to cry as much as he wanted and she stayed silent. That was what he needed right now – silence.

"No man is worth your tears," Arthur said to himself as if Gwen was not there and that statement registered heavily in Gwen's heart and her contained sadness burst forth.

They cuddled together in silence, tears dripping down their cheeks… tears in the name of another person – Gwen, for Arthur and Arthur, for Merlin.

* * *

The hurting in his head seemed like a permanent resident now, one that he could never get rid of. It kept him in a state of semi-consciousness all the time, never letting up, never letting him glimpse even a fraction of freedom. He felt as if his eyes bled rivers when he tried to open them fully. Halfway, he could tolerate but never full. His shoulders screamed in agony, being tied to the roof or some other contraption, he thought. What he didn't know was that he wasn't tied to anything; he was merely lifted a good few inches off the ground, with his arms stretched beyond limits and painfully above his head – it was magic that held him there, not a rope. The clothes he wore since the day he stepped foot into the Caves were now tattered; his pants wet and his body cold. Occasionally, something that Merlin clearly thought was a whip would lash his back – neck to heel, and he would scream. His mind was never clear enough for him to know that it wasn't a whip but carefully timed magic that would hit him thrice a day, for a half hour each time. As if the pain he was in wasn't enough, his stomach started to complain him of hunger and his throat, of thirst.

His screams now sounded parched to his own ears and he felt his throat burning like hellfire. Yet, whatever presence his brain still had in the darkness that enveloped him ever since, he never felt anybody come and check him up. In the early days, when he felt like he could actually _think_ , he called out for anyone, someone, even the voice of his arch-enemy might have seemed wonderful in the darkness but no one came. No one answered his calls. Eventually, he stopped calling for them even though he didn't know now who ' _them_ ' was. He knew not how many days, or nights, passed since _'the incident'_ , he now chose to address it as. The minutes of waiting for Arthur's return had long gone. Now, he just wanted to live and not die. He wanted to feel his magic thrumming through his veins again. Gradually, he was forgetting how his magic felt. At times, he wondered whether he had any because the present he was living now felt more real than the past he once lived. Maybe, he just dreamt it, made it all up, his past in the safe walls of Camelot. There was never Arthur, or Gwen, or Morgana, or Uther; they were just fragments of his tortured imagination. This pain he was feeling now, the blood, the fire, the cold, the mortification, the emptiness, this was real, maybe.

Every time he told himself that, he felt liberated from the pain, if not physically, then emotionally. He stored the part of him that loved Arthur – it kept him sane in this unending darkness his half-open eyes could see, even though Arthur could be nothing more than just his imagination. The whip came down on his bruised back again – it was always the back, not the front and he thought that he should be grateful for the reprieve, no matter how little.

As the whip rained down, again and again, he screamed. He could feel his blood pouring down the cuts. He could even see them with utmost clarity in the back of his mind. Such was the intensity of the whip's strike. He could smell his blood along with the putrid smell of his excretions. Tied, he couldn't possibly use a bathroom and shame colored him red whenever he let go to lessen the pressure coiling inside his stomach. Some days, it was intentional while some days, his humiliation occurred involuntarily when the whip hit him hard and he lost all control, not that he had any in the first place.

Yet, he never begged for the humiliation or the pain to stop because begging meant losing another part of himself and he supposed, he lost enough. He could take this pain, scream himself hoarse but at what cost? Was he willing to live like this forever? He had been broken enough. Was he willing to cling onto his stubbornness which could possibly yield nothing but more pain? Or worse, death! If he pleaded, who would listen to him? If they did listen to his pleas, by a long chance, would he be relieved of this incessant pain?

The whipping stopped and he smacked his lips. Water, he wanted it; no, he needed it. He was so deprived of anything that he wanted to beg for what he needed. But his pride, whatever tattered remains were still leftover, wouldn't allow him. Not now. Maybe, he would try tomorrow. Sleep seemed good for now. Yes, he would sleep now and try begging tomorrow.

But, when is _tomorrow_?

Wondering, his half-lidded eyes fell completely shut.

* * *

"I put you in a threat by hiring that boy as your manservant," Uther placed a worried hand over his son's shoulder.

"And, he tried to kill you," Morgana piped in.

"Yes, yes, he did. And thank you, Morgana, you've saved us all from that traitor, the sorcerer in the heart of Camelot," Uther said gratefully which sounded so wrong to Arthur, despite it being true.

Gaius stood to a side, calmly, watching the exchange. On the outside, he was calm yet no one knew of his bereavement for a certain black haired boy. Uther led himself to a wrong notion that Merlin cheated Gaius too, apart from the Royal family but the look Arthur shot at him fleetingly said otherwise about the Prince's thoughts. Well, Gaius didn't care what the Prince thought.

"I am glad you are safe too, Gaius," Uther's eyes crinkled in happiness when he looked at the Physician.

"So am I, Sire. I have some herbs to collect and potions to make. If you will excuse me," Gaius bowed and trotted out at the King's nod. He could stay not a second longer in the place where they were rejoicing Merlin's absence.

 _What would he tell Hunith about the disappearance of her boy?_ He didn't even want to think about it.

That night, as he lay down on his own mattress, Gaius felt the loneliness seeping into him from Merlin's room, which was now devoid of the cheerful boy.

"I'm sorry, Merlin. I should never have let you stay here," Gaius whispered to the closed bedroom door and wished for it to open so that he could see Merlin walking out in his usual sleepy steps.

It never opened.

 **o#*#o**

He needed a new manservant. There was no one to run him a hot bath, no one to dress him up, no one to polish his armor or do his laundry, no one to bring him dinner and no one to banter with. He was all alone in his room which seemed bigger and emptier than ever. To his dismay, he realized that he did not want anyone except Merlin as his manservant but that wouldn't do. Merlin's gone! He proved to be a wolf in sheep's clothing and there was nothing Arthur could do to bring the lost man back. He didn't even want him back for God's sake!

"Guards!" he shouted.

"Yes, Sire?" two guards came in moments later and bowed to him in respect.

"Tell George that he will be serving as my manservant from tomorrow and I expect him to see to his duties on time. He's relieved of his present work until I say otherwise," Arthur said.

"Yes, Sire," they echoed in agreement and left to do the said work.

"See? I can replace you and quite easily too," he said to Merlin though the said person can hear neither his words nor the disdain coating them.

He heard a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" he asked irritably.

"It's me. I brought you your dinner," he heard Gwen's voice and let her in immediately.

One look at Arthur and she knew something wasn't right. She needn't ponder to know what was bothering Arthur - the deception of Merlin.

"Will you be all right, Arthur?" she asked in concern, carefully avoiding mentioning Merlin. Yet, Arthur got her message.

"Why won't I be? He was just a servant, wasn't he?" his words sounded so wrong to his own ears once again for the umpteenth time.

 **o#*#o**

Without Merlin, the palace seemed blissfully serene to Morgana as she walked the corridors to greet Morgause. Now wasn't the time to sit still and celebrate the removal of Merlin. It was the time to grab this opportunity and lay claim upon the throne of Camelot which belonged to her. It was time for Uther's execution.

A few yards from the citadel, her sister was waiting for her, away from the patrol groups. They wouldn't venture this close to the citadel because it was a safe area which was visited once a few moons. Morgana hence chose it to be their meeting place. It kept them away from prying eyes and eager ears.

"Congratulations on our success, sister," Morgana chirped happily, pulling back the hood of her cloak.

"To you too, sister but we must be wary. A week is a long time to celebrate one meager success. When Uther dies, we can rejoice more," Morgause said.

"What are you thinking?" Morgana asked for their next course of action.

"Poison, Morgana; we have to use standard means for now. Without Merlin, the sorcerer who saves the day, Uther won't survive it," she said.

"Gaius has antidotes to all poisons available and will administer it in a second. Uther won't die. We have to use magic," Morgana countered.

"You do not understand, sister. Using magic will only endanger your existence now that Merlin is gone. He was the evil sorcerer, remember? Not you in the eyes of Uther, Arthur, and everyone else. Since we cannot kill him with swords, we can only do so using poison," Morgause reasoned.

"Very well, sister. But what about Gaius?" Morgana asked.

"This poison is called Curare, Morgana. I have ventured deep into the South-eastern woods beyond the sea to gather its essence. And believe me when I tell you, Gaius does not have the means I did to get his hands on this poison, let alone study it. Suffice to say, Curare does not have an antidote, sister," Morgause let herself smile, picturing their second triumph. They were so close to capturing Camelot.

"That's great! How much of it is required to kill Uther?" Morgana asked.

"Just a tincture in his dinner every day. Uther will first lose the use of his legs, then his other limbs until he's no more capable of breathing. You will see him suffer gradually, Morgana until the light leaves his eyes. The peculiar thing about Curare is that the heart still beats though the breathing stops. Uther will suffer and shall die in pain," Morgause said. She knew Morgana wanted Uther to _feel_ pain and not just die in a moment. Hence the poison. She had to work for obtaining it but the mirth that decorated her sister's face was worth her grave efforts for the poison.

"I will see to it that Uther gets his dosage every day and I must also find a pitiful one to take the fall for this poison," Morgana took the vial from Morgause's hands.

"Good luck," Morgause wished and Morgana turned around to walk back to the castle when a hand on her arm stopped her in her tracks.

"Anything wrong, sister?" she asked in worry.

"I'm going after the boy, Morgana. I might need to make a deal with the Drihten of the Caves," Morgause said, her voice filled with apprehension.

"Deal? What kind of deal are you going to propose?" Morgana asked, expecting the worst.

"Do not fear. I will not threaten my life for the boy. I have to think of something valuable for his life," and then, like a streak of lightning, an idea struck her.

"What is it that you have in mind?" Morgana asked.

Morgause smirked broadly.

She had something to offer the Drihten would surely not refuse.

* * *

"Halt, lady!" Morgause heard a man shout at her as she neared the Caves of Peril and she stopped in her tracks.

"Who are you and what is your purpose?" the man questioned her as he took a couple of cautious steps towards her.

"I am the High Priestess of the Old religion and have come here to see the Drihten," she said.

The man shook visibly when she announced her post but didn't make any move to call for the Drihten.

"You may be the High Priestess, dear lady, but you can have nothing from this place. It is even a wonder your magic is intact," he looked her from top to bottom, wondering why the lady's magic wasn't crumbling to pieces as it happened to the boy in their custody, Emrys.

"Then you must know that we share the same bond of magic and same intentions, do you not now?" she queried with a smile, knowing that she was winning against this nameless man.

"I'm the Keeper of Caves, **Bewerigend** ," he introduced himself rather abruptly.

"I need to meet the Drihten, Keeper," Morgause insisted, shining her eyes to a sinister gold to show the Keeper that the magic of Caves does not affect her magic.

"Wait here," he said curtly but obediently walked inside the Caves.

Within minutes, Morgause found herself standing in front of a tall bulky yet a very old man with hair and eyes as white as the snow, the Drihten. She bowed to him in respect.

"What brings you here, High Priestess?" he asked.

"I come here to deferentially ask for your captive, Drihten. I need the boy," Morgause didn't stall.

"Thirst for revenge, you have come with an exchange," it was the Drihten's way of asking, 'What do we get in exchange for the boy?'

"I have an offer you will not refuse," she simpered as she removed something from her bag and held it out for the Drihten and the Keeper to see.

She was enthralled by their uniquely similar expressions of shock mingled with pleasure.

"That is - ," the Keeper was speechless as he stared darkly at the object in Morgause's hands.

"The Cup of Life," Morgause finished.

* * *

 **So how was the chapter? DO DROP A REVIEW, READERS!**

 **The upcoming chapters will contain graphic descriptions of torture and are not for the fainthearted. I will try my level best to keep them as short as possible because this is my first time writing graphic torture with seriousness. I hope I will be strong while penning them down.**

 **Until next time, bye!**

 **~ Wheezy.**


	9. From the pan, into the fire

**I must remind you that this fic is a SLOW BURN and will have many chapters. Also, do heed the warnings I mentioned in the first chapter before continuing further. I will be mentioning warnings for the chapter from now on.**

 **Thank you for the reviews!**

 **Warnings: Some violence, so we're still on safe grounds.**

 **Words:** 3416

* * *

 **9\. From the pan, into the fire**

"The Cup of Life in exchange for the servant boy and the spell coating your Caves," Morgause added.

"You ask of two, dear Lady, in exchange for one?" the Keeper spoke, a bit angry at her audacious demands.

"You lot know the best what this cup entails than I. I simply know that you have been after this Cup for centuries and that this is the only bridge you have to save yourselves. Am I wrong, Drihten?" she asked with a victorious smirk and could see the Drihten tighten his jawline in acquiescence.

"I must agree that you have come here knowledgeable, dear Lady, of our needs," the Keeper gritted out.

Morgause was about to reply but stopped herself when the Drihten caught the Keeper of the Caves by his arm and dragged him away to the entrance of the Caves. It looked like they were engaged in a deep conversation and Morgause patiently waited. She needed the servant boy, Merlin and she would give away anything in her strengths to get her hands on him.

For Arthur to fall and not rise, she needed Merlin.

It was a stroke of immense luck, really, that she remembered about the Cup of Life and its need in the hearts of these perishing sorcerers. Yes, their magic was stronger than any force in and beyond this world yet it had an expiration day. And, it was dawning. They would soon be gone and their only means for protection was the Cup of Life. That was the reason they had to come out of their seclusion. Morgause was sure that they didn't want Uther's wrath upon them a second time.

The Drihten left and for a second, Morgause feared her bargain was a failure but when she saw the Keeper, Bewerigend, rush towards her rather urgently, she kept her hopes up.

"Are you wishing to forsake your lives after all, though you have the chance to safety?" she didn't miss the quiver of uncertainty in her bold tone.

"We graciously accept your offer, dear Lady. Do come in and claim your prize," the Keeper's utterly broken lips curved into a warm smile without any malice.

Apprehension filled her as she allowed herself to be led by the old Keeper towards the entrance. Was it a trap? Would they kill her to get their hands on the Cup of Life? It seemed likely. Why didn't they kill her yet?

"Because we believe you to be our ally, dear Lady," the Keeper answered and Morgause realized that she had spoken her thoughts out loud.

She cleared her throat in embarrassment.

"Ally?" she queried.

"Yes, dear. We need you and your accomplice, the black-haired woman whose alliances are not in the hearts of the place she resides but in you, to end the reign of the mighty Pendragons. Is it not what you want the boy for?" the Keeper looked down at her and his smirk was reminiscent of hers'.

"We share the same bond," she smiled genuinely at him.

"That we certainly do," he said as they entered the Caves.

As soon as she stepped foot into the Caves, she could feel the warmth of the Sun envelop her and she sighed in relaxation. It miraculously felt like home to her, one she never had, except for abandoned towers and murky Caves. There was just enough light for her to see a few feet from where she stood but any further, was darkness to her eyes.

"Our eyes do not dwell well in light," Bewerigend said.

Their eyes had no black eyeballs, she recollected. They were an expanse of white and probably, they could see through this darkness; they didn't need light to survive.

"Where is he?" she asked eagerly and a bit tiredly. The walk was not helping her sleep-addled mind and wounded body.

Her hunt for Curare proved cumbersome and she scraped by with a few injuries, some, she could heal while some, she could not.

"Patience is a virtue, dear Lady. We have kept him in the depths of these Caves lest he escaped, given, he is the most powerful sorcerer to ever walk this land, we had to be cautious," he replied.

Morgause laughed. _The most powerful sorcerer?_ She laughed harder.

"My apologies, Bewerigend. I do not think _Merlin_ is the most powerful sorcerer. It is but a hilarious joke," she spoke as she tried to control her guffaws.

" _Emrys_ is the most powerful sorcerer, dear Lady. His powers remain dormant to this day and I believe the cause for it is the young Pendragon, Arthur. Staying in Camelot, by Arthur's side, has weakened what the old prophecies told about Emrys's magic. The fear of practicing sorcery openly has curbed his abilities. If I must say, he is but a sleeping dragon and we are making sure he stays that way," he informed seriously.

Morgause gulped involuntarily as a sweat bead rolled down the side of her face. Was Merlin's magic really powerful? Why was Merlin being called Emrys all the time? Were they the same person at all?

"Emrys is his Druid name," the Keeper answered.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, can you _read_ my thoughts?" she frowned in suspicion.

His smile gave the answer. Yes, he could. They reached the end of the tunnel and there was a sharp rocky depression just across them which led downwards.

"After you," the Keeper said.

Morgause didn't want to go in there. It was dark, damp and probably pest-infected. Besides, there were no steps! They had to climb down or crawl their way down slowly. By the Keeper's stance, she suspected that he would climb. Sighing that she had to go through all this trouble for a mere servant and vowing to herself that she would make Merlin pay for her affliction, she bunched her robes and sat down, feeling the cold seeping through her clothes. Slowly but carefully, she groped for rocks using her feet and hands and climbed down. After what felt like days and numerous scrapes later, she felt her feet hit the muddy ground.

"Well done, dear Lady. We are soon to arrive and now, we wait for the others," he led her to a flat stone that was to their left and she presumed that they sit on it.

"Where is the boy? I don't see him here," she said as she sat down on the stone.

"He is right in front of your eyes," he answered as if it was obvious and Morgause was a fool for not being able to see the boy dangling right across her.

"I don't see him," she mumbled as she searched for any sign of Merlin in the darkness that spread before her.

All she could see was the Keeper and from this seated angle, she couldn't even see the path that led her down to this place. When the Keeper didn't answer her, she waited.

 **o#*#o**

Maybe it was a dream, then again, maybe, it wasn't. He was sure that it was noisy and now, it got noisier. Was it because his teeth chattered louder than usual due to the freezing cold? On the other hand, it could be him groaning louder in pain, or, it could be his stomach, growling like a tiger in hunger. Whatever it was, he couldn't place a finger on it. Yet the thought that someone might have come for him never crossed his foggy mind.

Merlin began seeing unusual things these days. Pleasant things. Arthur and his Knights coming for him, rescuing him and Arthur kissing him in their presence shamelessly… For some time, he discarded these thoughts away, knowing them to be false. Now, he reveled in the very same thoughts to ease into oblivion. As long as he was awake, he would only think about Arthur to save himself from his pain, his hunger, and his humiliation. The place stank of his excretions and his captors didn't even bother cleaning. Besides, why would they? He was a captive, not their guest!

He coughed in harsh rasps and fire ignited in his throat.

"Water," he spoke but all that came out of his mouth was air, no voice.

Recently, a new burn took residence in his privates due to lack of water intake. It hurt so much more than the fire in his throat. He shut his eyes tight as the burn made itself known again.

"Somebody please save me," tears ran out of his eyes in thin streams as there was no more water left in his body. At times he wondered how he could still cry or urinate without drinking water.

Poking his tongue out, he lapped up the tears he cried and wet his dry muscle and the insides of his mouth as much as he could. The saltiness of his tears only added fuel to the fire in his throat, still, he drank them for Lord knows when he'd be able to cry tears again or drink them to quench his thirst.

"Ah!" he choked on air as his best friend, the whip, let him know of its presence by cracking the already cracked skin on his back.

He now knew how to deal with the pain the whip delivered so lovingly. It was blissful to lose himself in its ministrations and to let the pain from it sweep over him like a cool wave. He appreciated the blood that ran down his back like a gift to the whip's efforts. He wanted more. And, the whip gave him more of what he wanted.

"Harder," he whispered, not quite satisfied with the whip's lashes as of late.

And, he got harder.

"Yes, more," he begged the whip.

It was his only ticket to the present, to the Darkness that surrounded him, away from his hallucinations of Arthur saving him and kissing him. It served him in reminding him of his plight, captured and alone, magicless, and useless. The whip, the pain it inducted in him, brought him back to life, screaming at him that he was still Merlin, a sorcerer, who saved Arthur countless times, the one who he betrayed by hiding his magic and the one who betrayed him by abandoning him here.

He tried drawing his magic out through the pain that was inflicted on him. Yet, he always failed. His magic chose to leave him too, just like Arthur. The whip reminds him that he should be angry – at Arthur, at Gwen, at the Knights of Camelot, at his magic, and at himself for caring too much. They needed him and they used him but gave nothing in return! In the end, they left him here to die in his vomit and piss, to die a crude death. He would never forgive them for his doom.

"No, no, no, don't stop, please," he begged when the whip quieted down.

He expected the whip to rain down on him once again but it never did and unfalteringly, his mind ran back to Arthur, to where it supposedly belonged, like the moon in the dark, and his eyes swooped shut gracefully.

 **o#*#o**

" **Lihtaan ond onhlidan!** (Light up and reveal him!)" the Drihten chanted.

All the seven sorcerers were present with Morgause as a faint light filled this deeper part of the Caves, where, according to the sorcerers, Merlin was held captive. As the light grew stronger to a level where she could see her surroundings faintly, she saw something dangling midair not far from them.

"Is that?" she squinted her eyes to adjust them to the faint light.

"Your prize, Emrys," the Keeper announced.

Her feet unknowingly brought her to a stop a couple yards in front of the unconscious servant boy, carefully avoiding the wet pools of blood mixed with urine. The light allowed her to scrutinize Merlin's battered state to her heart's content. He looked more emaciated than ever with bloodied and torn clothes, skin paler than the twilight, hair matted to his forehead almost covering his closed eyes, drool dropping down disgracefully from the corners of his slightly open and trembling mouth; his body emanated waves of putrid smell and he quivered like a newborn leaf on a windy day.

"We've been starving him and he's still fighting. His will is stronger than anyone we've ever known," the Keeper told Morgause, coming to stand beside her as she inspected their captive in awe.

"Why didn't you kill him when you had the chance?" she asked, genuinely surprised.

If the sorcerers wanted to kill Merlin, they could've done so the very day they captured him, but they didn't. Had they any hidden agenda behind keeping him alive and breathing, she wondered.

"Dear Lady, I have but something to inform you. I'm not merely the Keeper of Caves. I'm also the oldest Seer still alive and I've known since the beginning that you or your companion, the black haired beauty living in Camelot's citadel, I suppose, would be coming for this boy, offering a deal we could not refuse," the Keeper smiled at Morgause's shocked expression.

Today, she learned so much more than she could ever take in. Coming to the Caves had been her destiny, forever and she successfully accomplished it. Now, she could claim her prize and if she walked on the path meant for her, she could reach the pinnacle of success; else, she was sure that this boy would only aid her to her unavoidable doom.

"How could I have not known? You lot are the oldest sorcerers alive. You would know everything, wouldn't you?" she chuckled at her stupidity.

"No, dear Lady, we do not know everything. Only that if we gift this boy to you, _prophecies and destinies of everyone will change, including the boy's_ ," the Keeper said.

Oddly, the others remained silent while the Keeper spoke. Not even the head of their pack, the Drihten, spoke for them but let the Keeper in his stead. This trust, Morgause supposed, was deep instilled because this old man peering down at her was more knowledgeable than the others, about prophecies and destinies.

"His destiny, I believe I am correct in saying this, is to protect Arthur," it was more a question than a statement.

"You are not wrong. He was supposed to protect Arthur till the young Prince breathed his last. His destiny is now realigning itself to the events that occurred in his life. The young Pendragon forsook his trust in this boy and left him to die, which caused a deep irreparable tear in Emrys's destiny and the prophecies that told of his power are contradicting themselves as we speak of his fate. Our duty ends when we part with Emrys by bequeathing him unto you," he explained.

"I have the power to change his destiny?" she asked.

"You do," he emphasized.

And for the first time, someone other than the Keeper spoke to her, an old woman.

" _And it is said that when the betrayed bond with a promise of love non-existential and intentions maleficent, rewritten are the Destinies, nigh is The End_ ," the old woman had her white hood pulled up so Morgause couldn't see her face.

"What is The End you speak of?" Morgause asked the old lady.

"That, dear Lady, not even we know. This is your destiny and you must embrace it," the Keeper said, albeit a bit sadly.

"How can I embrace it without knowing what it means?" she asked agitatedly.

"In time, woman, for you are the key to Camelot's lock of destruction," the old lady addressed her rather perfunctorily.

"You and your companion, I might add," the Keeper said and Morgause knew that he was talking about Morgana.

"She's my sister, Morgana," she let them know and turned her attention back to Merlin, who was mumbling incoherent words and was trying to open his eyes. "He's waking up," Morgause walked closer, studying him.

"Here's the spell for the Caves. I must warn you that the place you choose must be strong enough to withhold the magic this spell infuses in its foundations," the Keeper stretched out a parchment to her and she took it without glancing away from Merlin.

"You need to say the spell thrice, dear Lady, and coat the insides of the place with a few drops of your blood at different places after every incantation. I trust you understood my explanation?" the Keeper elucidated further.

"Yes," she looked at him gratefully, "thank you."

* * *

His body ached constantly but he knew it wasn't the ache he was used to. It wasn't the afterburn left by his favorite whip but something else, something unpleasant. His closed eyes were colored red now as if he was under the Sun and not in the Darkness he came to love. This new sensation running inside him, he didn't like it, not one bit. So, he fought against all his impulses and tried to open his eyes, regain consciousness, so that he could see the change in his surroundings but his body wouldn't cooperate. It wouldn't listen to his orders.

He grunted in displeasure and heard someone talking to him. Dazed as he was, he couldn't even make out the voice's gender though his mind supposed it was Arthur who spoke to him. Lately, he had been dreaming and seeing Arthur too much.

"Arthur?" he croaked out and he heard a laugh in reply. No acknowledgment.

Merlin didn't like the response and he shut his mind and traveled to its deepest recesses where he could find the Arthur who _answered_ him instead of _laughing_ at him. The world went blank.

 **o#*#o**

Merlin jerked his eyes open when a stream of ice-cold water showered down on him. _Arthur never stopped turning over buckets on his head in lieu of proving to Merlin that Arthur knew how to use a bucket!_

"Ugh," he spluttered and coughed water out and wiped a few drops away from his eyes and face.

The realization was quick and sudden, just like the bucket of cold water that poured over him – he could move his hands! They were not tied to the ceiling anymore and his eyes saw black no more. Alert, his burning eyes roamed about his surroundings, taking in what he could see. He reckoned he was in some kind of cave and that's all. There were no indications to tell him where the said Cave was or where he was stranded. He only remembered the sorcerers of the Caves of Peril and the insufferable pain his body dealt while being their captive.

Trying to control his now rapid breathing, he leaned back and immediately winced away from the cold touch of the rocks on his bleeding back. Due to his newfound senses, he almost forgot about the whip's work on his backside and as soon as he acknowledged his wounds, the underside of his legs burned. Looking at his unbound wrists and legs, he stood up on his bare feet with difficulty, holding onto the rocks for support. The act itself consumed too much of his energy and he panted hard, closing his eyes tight to will away the pain in his body.

"Need another bucket of cold water to wake you up, Merlin?" a female voice asked him and he realized that he wasn't alone, wherever he was.

"Who -," his body racked with a gruesome cough fit for a few seconds. "Who are you?" he managed to ask between coughs, now bent over in half as he clutched his stomach with one hand, while the other still rested on the wall for supporting himself.

"I don't believe it is hard for you to recognize me, Merlin," the bearer of the voice walked a bit closer to him.

Merlin lifted his head to see the woman and a plethora of emotions filled him, the dominant one being – terror.

"Morgause," he whispered.

* * *

 _"Arthur, please!"_

 _"Don't leave me here."_

 _"I only ever used my magic for you, Arthur!"_

 _"Save me, Arthur, please!"_

"Merlin!" Arthur sat up in his bed, sweating, his head in his hands, as the night sky thundered savagely.

* * *

 **A few reviews would be appreciated!**

 **I hope you're on board so far and do stay tuned for more!**

 **Next chapter:** _Morgause and Merlin interaction. Arthur's feeling remorseful and Gwen tries to help him. He decides something and tries to go through with it. Morgana tries to deal with Uther. Will Uther live?_

 **Until next time, bye!**

 **~ Wheezy.**


	10. Let it hurt, let it bleed

**Sorry for the late update. I was down with a severe case of flu and am still recovering.**

 **Chapter title is taken from the song "** Let it hurt **" by Rascal Flatts. I never heard the song but I liked that particular line. It was in context with what I wrote. Hence, I used it.**

 **Words:** 3480

* * *

 **10\. Let it hurt, let it bleed**

The palm of his arm that was draped across his stomach fisted the tattered remains of his shirt unintentionally. His teeth chattered loudly as he waited for Morgause to do something to him. Given his condition, he supposed he couldn't retaliate physically unless he used magic. Wait, magic! That's right! Now that he's out of the Caves of Peril that hindered his magical capabilities, he could use it to defeat Morgause and escape to the safety of Camelot. He could reason with Arthur and explain to him that he never used magic for hurting the good men. Yes, he would do that.

Ignoring his physical pain for a few moments, Merlin concentrated on bringing his magic to the forefront so that he could blast Morgause into unconsciousness. But, nothing happened. He couldn't release his magic. It was as if Merlin's magic was caged with no key to let it out.

"Your magic is useless here, Merlin," Morgause chuckled.

 _How did she know that I'm a sorcerer?!_ Merlin's eyes widened in surprise as he watched her walk closer to him.

"What, did you think I'm unaware of your sorcery? You aren't just a manservant to Arthur, are you?" there was not more than a foot's gap between him and Morgause now. She fisted his hair, earning a pained groan from him as she bent his head back to look down at him in the eyes. "You are much more than just a servant, aren't you, Merlin?" she questioned again.

There was a pregnant pause. Odd enough, that moment, that line seemed very important to Merlin, though he wanted to hear it from someone who isn't Morgause, someone he loved and cared about and was willing to throw away his life for.

"I am much more than that," he whispered and he meant it.

He longed to say those words out loud, that he might be a manservant in the eyes of everyone but he isn't who he seemed to be. He isn't a clumsy fool who did chores for Arthur and took beatings from him. He is a sorcerer and a powerful one at that.

"Too bad that your sorcery cannot save you. If you're curious, Merlin, I will let you know that this place is protected by the same spell that is used on the Caves of Peril. So, do not try hard because your magic won't work here," she smiled evilly at him before releasing his head.

"What are you going to do to me? Why haven't you killed me yet?" he shouted at her back and erupted into another coughing fit, spitting some blood onto the stone floor.

"Kill you?" she turned around, genuine wonder flitting across her face.

"Yes," he replied, his expression matching Morgause's surprised look.

"Why would I want to kill you?" she asked, frowning.

"Why wouldn't you want to kill me? I supposed that was your agenda since you took me as your captive," he replied, frowning.

It looked like a battle of questions and surprises.

"No, Merlin! You see, my _agenda_ , as you thought, isn't to kill you!" she couldn't help but giggle at Merlin's idiocy. "It is to kill Arthur Pendragon and reclaim the throne of Camelot to the rightful heir, Morgana Pendragon. And, to bring magic into the deepest veins of Camelot."

It wasn't any surprise to Merlin that Morgause's intentions were to kill Arthur. But, he couldn't explain why his stomach flipped at the thought of Arthur. Then again, maybe he could. Merlin wasn't back in Camelot now. He was here, wherever 'here' was and was left alone to die. He could clearly picture Arthur's eyes as he spat 'I will help no sorcerer like you'. They were lifeless and filled with anger alone. Yet he remembered seeing those blue eyes in despair as Arthur said goodbye to him. Suddenly, against his wishes and thoughts, anger flared up inside him, like a forest wildfire. It spread through his entire being and wouldn't stop no matter how much he tried to quell it down.

"You cannot," he heaved, his arm moving from his stomach to clutch his heart.

He might not have finished what he wanted to say but Morgause understood. And, she smiled.

"Actually, I can," she replied and her eyes glowed gold, her smile vanishing spontaneously.

Merlin screamed in pain that racked his insides. He pulled at his body, scratched his skin but the pain traveling under his skin didn't go away.

"Stop!" he cried but the pain only intensified. So did his screams.

The last thing he remembered before blacking out was Morgause's gold irises.

* * *

 _"Look at me, Arthur. Hear me call your name," Merlin beseeched in the faintest of tones._

 _"I do not know where you are!" Arthur yelled as he frantically searched for his manservant in the woods._

 _"I'm hurt and I'm bleeding all over," Merlin replied, followed by a pained grunt._

 _Arthur clucked his tongue in frustration. This search for his manservant wasn't leading him anywhere and it was dark. He couldn't see his surroundings because, of all nights, the clouds chose tonight to encase the moon in their shadows. He hadn't the mind to bring a torch and he couldn't light one now. If he so much as walked without tripping in the dark, it would be a miracle._

 _"It's dark and I have nothing but my sword. I cannot find you, Merlin," Arthur sighed and sat down on the forest floor with his head in his palms._

 _A few seconds later, Arthur could see the ground under him that was dusted beautifully with dried leaves, green grass, and twigs. He looked up to see the moon but found a ball of moonlight hovering above him._

 _"Come to me now," Merlin's voice sounded clearer than before. If he didn't want to be categorized as mad, Arthur would've admitted that the ball of moonlight spoke to him in Merlin's voice._

 _Without question, believing in the light Merlin sent for him, he followed where it took him. He looked around and found that he was still in Darkling Woods but the light ball was taking him deeper into the dangerous woods. After walking for a while, the light ball stopped and so did Arthur, only to find a Cave that he never knew existed until then. The Cave seemed darker than the night and Arthur would give anything to deny that it was a magical Cave._

 _And then, he heard a loud scream which sounded like his manservant and the light ball vanished._

"Merlin, no!" Arthur's eyes snapped open with an inaudible flick only to find himself in his bed.

His right fist gripped his blankets tight with an enormous force and he couldn't let go. His heart beat louder than the warning bells and he willed himself to calm down. Every second, he told himself that it was just a bad dream and that he was in his bedroom, sleeping peacefully and safely. Arthur didn't understand why he kept on repeating in his mind that his manservant was George and not Merlin, the evil sorcerer, who could've killed him anytime he wanted, just like he tried to kill Uther.

"Is everything alright, Sire?" a voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"George? What the hell are you doing in my room?" Arthur snapped as he sat up in his bed.

"I'm your manservant, Sire and it is my job to see that you are perfectly sound in health," George replied monotonously, his hands crossed behind his back in a posture of servitude and respect.

Arthur sighed. "I'm fine. You can go," he answered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Yes, Sire. Do call for me if you need anything else, Sire," George bowed low and started walking out of the Prince's room.

"George, tell Guinevere that I called for her," Arthur's order, though it was more like a request, stopped him in his steps.

Besides, the Prince's request puzzled him to no end. It wasn't his place to question but George didn't know why Arthur would want Lady Morgana's maid at this late hour, in his chambers. He tried to keep his deviant thoughts at bay.

"But Sire, if you need anything, I will do my best to serve you," he replied and saw Arthur's face harden in anger.

"Just do what you're told to do," Arthur reprimanded.

"My apologies, Sire," he bowed again.

"And do not tell anyone," this was an order which didn't even have the subtlety to be a request.

"I won't, Sire," George meant what he said. He was but a servant, the lowest of all. It wasn't his place to defy the orders of the one he worked for. If the Prince wanted to meet with Lady Morgana's maid, he could. And if he wanted George to keep it a secret, then he would obey his master's commands. After all, that is all he could do for a decent living.

With these thoughts in his mind, he reached Lady Morgana's chambers and wished for her maid to be present in the quarters. She had a home and if she had already departed, he would have to walk in the cold to get her, which he did not want to do. He knocked and waited. After a while, he heard hushed footsteps and the door opened slightly, just enough for Guinevere to peek outside.

"George? What brings you here at this time?" she asked, yawning.

"Prince Arthur asked for you, Gwen," his voice had no emotion whatsoever.

He observed how her sleepy eyes immediately alerted themselves and filled with worry. Well, what happened between the Prince and this Lady doesn't concern him. Still, he mulled over this fact as he watched Gwen's back disappear into the darkness, towards the Prince's room.

 **o#*#o**

"Arthur! What happened? Are you alright?" Gwen asked as she rushed towards Arthur, who was still sitting in his bed but with his face in his palms. Gwen sat down in front of him and took his palms into hers', away from his face.

"Oh, God! How long has it been since you slept, Arthur?" she asked, noticing Arthur's rather dark circles and sunken eyes.

"I couldn't sleep. If I tried, I dream about _him_ and I cannot go back to sleep anymore," Arthur wasn't one to whine about his fears or feelings but tonight, he looked so small to Gwen. He looked haunted.

 _Two weeks then_ , Gwen thought.

"They are just bad dreams, Arthur. I will get a potion for you from Gaius and you can sleep," she said, cupping his face gently.

"No, don't. I can't face Gaius after everything," he averted his eyes and looked out of the window at the moon.

"Gaius doesn't blame you for what you did, Arthur," Gwen said.

"Because I'm the Prince of Camelot and he doesn't have a say in what I do and what I don't do," Arthur replied and Gwen felt tears roll down her palms from Arthur's cheeks.

"Oh, Arthur, you are torturing yourself! You saved your father from _him_ and you saved Camelot and its people by making that deal with those sorcerers. You did what you thought was right," Gwen reasoned.

"But what if it was wrong, Guinevere? What if I was wrong?" he asked, turning his head to look at her.

"Believe me, you never are," she smiled and that was all the assurance he wanted.

His palm circled her lithe wrists as he pulled her close and kissed her softly. Her breath tasted sour, just like his' due to the late hour. Still, he didn't mind it and hoped Guinevere didn't too. By the looks of it, she was eager and wasn't pulling away. He ventured his hands over her body and placed them on her waist, squeezing it occasionally and feeling her moan into the kiss. Their tongues explored familiar caverns and Arthur felt calmness envelop him. He kissed her until he lost his last breath. Then, they broke apart, foreheads touching, panting heavily, hot stale breaths fanning each other's faces.

"Wow, that was, um," Guinevere spoke first.

"Intensely good," Arthur finished her sentence and pulled her into another soft kiss, which lasted for a few seconds.

"I love you so much, Guinevere," he confessed.

"I love you too, Arthur," Gwen replied with all her heart.

"Will you stay the night? I do not want to let you go," Arthur asked.

"If anyone will find us, it'll be troublesome, Arthur," she said.

"Please, Guinevere," he pleaded and she sighed. She wanted to stay too. But if anyone found them, there is no saying what Uther would do to them. Their relation was supposed to be a secret forever and when Arthur married another Princess of Uther's choice, Guinevere would leave his side willingly.

"Till the first light," she said.

"Till the first light," he agreed and they drifted off together, with Arthur spooning Guinevere under the sheets.

Tired as she was, Gwen was asleep soon enough while Arthur calmly lay awake. And, he decided what he must do to put an end to the remorse he was feeling. The nightmares he was dreaming weren't normal; he knew that somehow because he saw things and places in these dreams which he never saw in reality. He's never been to those places yet he could surely say that they existed. He supposed it was Merlin's magic that was calling out to him. Strange, but he believed it was so. He had a very strong feeling that Merlin was in the Cave his dream showed him. Tomorrow, at first light, he decided that he would ride out to the Caves of Peril again.

It would be him who would kill Merlin for what his once manservant did to Uther, the King of Camelot. Arthur would make sure Merlin suffered before he died.

 **o#*#o**

Morgana was happy because her plan to kill Uther was sailing smoothly. Two days ago, Curare showed its first effects on Uther. He started complaining about pain in his legs and Morgana couldn't help but laugh at that thought. If only he knew that his legs would be paralyzed in a day or two, Uther wouldn't be taking medicines meant for old age pains. She laughed again and she turned on her bed to look at the ceiling.

Gaius, depressed as he was because he lost Merlin, wouldn't bother keeping an eye out for Uther's daily medicine. It wasn't a wonder that she picked Gaius for Uther's fall. He was the right choice and she could explain to Arthur; she could manipulate him into thinking why Gaius tried to poison Uther and that it wasn't his fault for housing a sorcerer and avenging his loss. Arthur is a fool and he wouldn't bother with explanations as long as there is proof that Gaius tampered with Uther's medicine. She would make sure to stow the vial of Curare in Gaius' chambers before Uther died.

"You will pay for everything, Uther Pendragon and then your son will follow you," Morgana spoke softly, her eyes still fixed on the dark ceiling.

All the excitement left her awake the whole night.

 **o#*#o**

Uther tossed and turned in his sleep and it wasn't because of any nightmare. His legs were paining and he never felt pain with such intensity. It was as if someone was ripping them off from his upper body while he still breathed. Giving up on sleep, he sat up and punched his legs for a while and the pain subsided. From his nightstand, he clutched the blue potion bottle which Gaius gave to him earlier in the night. He told Uther to gulp it down if his legs bothered him during the night and Uther just did that. He let the potion sink in for a while and his pain lessened.

He heaved out a breath of relief.

 _I should have asked Gaius for a sleep-inducing potion too,_ he thought as he lay back down onto his plush pillows.

 _Tomorrow, I'll ask him. For now, I will try and get some rest_. Yet, Uther couldn't sleep no matter how hard he tried. He recited the toughest parts of his Kingdom's Constitution, counted numbers, and tried humming even! Still, sleep seemed to be a far cry. Only when the first light of dawn graced his room did he fall into a pitiful slumber filled with dreams of his past.

Little did he know that his dreams were an effect of Curare trying to play with his mind.

* * *

"Why don't you just kill me and save your time?!" Merlin screamed in anger, pulling at his restraints.

This time, he wasn't magically tied to the ceiling but was shackled to the walls of the Cave. Heavy iron manacles circled his wrists like bracelets and strong interlocked chains pulled them up horizontally to either wall of the Cave. He could sit and kneel on the ground but could not stand without bending in half because of his wrist manacles. His legs weren't bound to any walls but his ankles were manacled together in similar chains not allowing him to pull them apart or take a few steps. If by any chance, he stood up to his full height, he supposed that his ankle restraints would only allow him to jump uncomfortably but not walk.

The skin on his wrists broke due to extreme chafing as Merlin constantly pulled at them, trying to break free and now they started to bleed too. Morgause squatted in front of him, looking at him with an unreadable expression. The smell of fresh bread and cheese flirted with his nose and his stomach growled at the prospect of food.

"I told you that I would not kill you, Merlin. Do not make me say it again and again," she warned.

"What is your point in keeping me shackled and feeding me then?" he queried.

"I need you to hurt for me. I need you to bleed for me, Merlin. And I will heal you. Then I will hurt you and make you bleed again. Till I find a way to fulfill my destiny, you will be my prisoner," she tore a piece of bread and held it to Merlin's mouth.

The bread felt so nice against his lips and Merlin couldn't ignore it anymore. So, he opened his mouth grudgingly and savored its taste. He didn't know what day it was or what time it was anymore. He had no idea if the food is supposed to be breakfast or lunch or dinner. Till he found a way to escape from Morgause, he would survive the pain and eat this food to gain his strength.

"What is your destiny?" he asked, after swallowing the bread.

He didn't expect her to answer so when she did, he stared at her, dumbfounded.

"You, Merlin, you are my destiny," she smirked and put another piece of bread into Merlin's mouth.

Merlin didn't want to know what her statement meant so he struggled to eat the tastiest bread and cheese he'd ever eaten in his entire life. After finishing the bowl, he was surprised to hear himself belch.

"Good, wasn't it?" she asked, making him sip some fresh water.

He nodded, albeit begrudgingly.

"Now, let's start, shall we?" she leered and pulled out a small but very sharp and glinting dagger.

As Morgause cut him up, and he couldn't remember how many times she did so, Merlin tried to hold in his screams. Unlike the other times, he was fully conscious now and was feeling the pain more than the other times. He just wanted it to stop but he wouldn't scream or beg. As long as his body and his mind kept him conscious, he would let her hurt him; he would bleed rivers for her, but he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of tearing his soul.

"I will break you, Merlin," her face was right in his face when she said it by holding the tip of her now bloodied dagger to Merlin's sunken left cheek. "But first, I will break your fingers," she chuckled like a mad but clever lady and proceeded to break his fingers.

Merlin yelped when Morgause twisted his left pinky finger for a while before snapping it. It dangled uselessly on his knuckle now. A few tears escaped his eyes without permission and he almost begged Morgause to stop this assault, but he kept his mouth in check.

She then loosened the chain's pull on his left hand so that it fell onto the floor but still remained shackled to the wall.

"You think your Prince, Arthur Pendragon will come and save you? You are a fool, Merlin," Morgause didn't warn as she brought down her boot-clad leg hard onto Merlin's left palm.

This time, Merlin howled like an animal in pain as he heard his finger bones crush under Morgause's footwork.

* * *

 **PLEASE DO REVIEW!**

 **I'll be updating frequently now, just like before.**

 **Until next time, b** **ye!**

 **~ Wheezy.**


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